First Nation's low water levels can't be helped: Hydro
York Factory First Nation's chief and council are meeting with Manitoba government officials Tuesday, after calling on the province to order the Crown corporation to release dammed water into Split Lake.
'Manitoba Hydro is doing everything it can to avoid extremely low levels on Split Lake,' spokesman Scott Powell wrote in an email to the Free Press Monday. 'However, increasing the levels of Split Lake now to support ferry operations by releasing additional water from Lake Winnipeg and Southern Indian Lake would jeopardize electricity reliability if the drought continues, and it is unknown when these conditions may end.'
'Increasing the levels of Split Lake now to support ferry operations by releasing additional water from Lake Winnipeg and Southern Indian Lake would jeopardize electricity reliability if the drought continues, and it is unknown when these conditions may end.'– Manitoba Hydro spokesman Scott Powell wrote in an email
The primary cause of Split Lake's low water level is a significant drought that is affecting levels and flows across Manitoba, he said.
Powell said Manitoba Hydro is providing three boats to help move people and supplies to and from York Factory.
The Crown corporation is paying compensation under the terms of pre-existing agreements, he said.
About 480 people live in the community, which is about 900 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
The federal government moved York Factory First Nation from its traditional lands at York Factory to York Landing when a Hudson's Bay Co. depot closed in 1957.
A ferry that runs between isolated York Factory First Nation and Tataskweyak Cree Nation stopped operating in July due to low water levels, prompting York Factory to declare a state of local emergency. The province's website said the ferry is out of service for the season.
Split Lake's water level was 1.4 metres below normal for this time of year as of Aug. 4.
'It is important that Manitobans know they can count on Manitoba Hydro to always meet their electricity needs for their homes and businesses.'– Manitoba Hydro spokesman Scott Powell
In an Aug. 1 letter to the province, York Factory's council accused Manitoba Hydro of prioritizing electricity generation over essential ferry service, and making decisions without accountability.
Powell said the utility is operating its system and managing water in a responsible manner to ensure adequate energy reserves are available to supply electricity to all Manitobans over the winter, when demand peaks for heating, lighting and other needs, and into next year should the drought continue.
'We operate all our facilities in accordance with the terms and conditions of the licences granted to us by the provincial government,' Powell wrote. 'It is important that Manitobans know they can count on Manitoba Hydro to always meet their electricity needs for their homes and businesses.
'Even under drought conditions, flows into Split Lake will increase as the demand for electricity from our customers increases in late fall.'
York Factory Chief Darryl Wastesicoot said Sunday the ferry is a lifeline because it links the community — located between two hydroelectric dams — with the provincial highway system during open-water season.
Residents drive to Thompson for health appointments and to stock up on groceries. Wastesicoot said housing and other projects have been disrupted because supplies cannot be delivered without the ferry.
It is expensive to transport goods or supplies by air, he said.
The chief is concerned about the low lake level's potential impacts on York Factory's water supply.
The First Nation had already called for the construction of an all-season road. The winter road season is not as long as it used to be, Wastesicoot said.
chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca
Chris KitchingReporter
Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris.
Every piece of reporting Chris produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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