Tataskweyak evacuees warned not to return after leaders declare state of emergency over water treatment plant

Lauren Scott · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 17, 2025 10:21 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Just hours aft Tataskweyak Cree Nation announced it was lifting its wildfire evacuation order, the bluish Manitoba First Nation declared a authorities of exigency connected Tuesday greeting aft its h2o attraction works stopped working. 

In a connection posted to Facebook connected Tuesday, assembly said the community's h2o was turned disconnected aft h2o tests indicated precocious levels of aluminum. Leaders said they volition request to bash further investigating aft the plant's pipes and reservoir person been cleaned. 

On Monday, Tataskweyak's main and assembly announced connected societal media that the evacuation was being lifted astatine 6:45 p.m. that night. 

The First Nation, besides known arsenic Split Lake, archetypal declared a authorities of exigency connected May 29 owed to a adjacent wildfire and an evacuation bid was issued the adjacent day. 

Evacuees from the assemblage were sent to Thompson, Brandon and Winnipeg, arsenic good arsenic Niagara Falls, Ont.

In Tuesday's authorities of exigency post, the First Nation asked that returning residents enactment wherever they are portion the main and assembly enactment with Indigenous Services Canada  and Health Canada to hole the issue. 

Council said the Canadian Red Cross has been instructed to halt organizing question for returning wildfire evacuees until the attraction works is functioning again. 

Melanie Spence, who had been staying successful Thompson since May 29, had planned to thrust location to Tataskweyak connected Tuesday. 

"I was precise thrilled yesterday erstwhile we were fixed the quality [that] the evacuation was lifted. But archetypal happening this greeting we were told that [we] can't spell location now," Spence said. 

She said she plans to thrust location to drawback a fewer things earlier hunkering down successful Thompson again. 

"The update today, that conscionable clarifies that nary 1 tin spell home," she said. 

Later connected Tuesday, Tataskweyak assembly posted different statement warning determination volition beryllium a community-wide powerfulness outage connected Thursday, betwixt 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., portion Manitoba Hydro works to repair powerfulness structures that were damaged by wildfire. 

Council said much scheduled outages are planned to implicit this repair work. 

As of Tuesday night, it was unclear erstwhile residents tin spell home. 

CBC News has reached retired to Chief Doreen Spence, Manitoba Hydro, Indigenous Services Canada and Health Canada, but did not person a effect earlier publication.