“Emergency preparedness cannot be treated as an afterthought. Without predictable, dedicated funding, First Nations are left reacting to crises instead of preventing them.”
– Grand Chief Jerry Daniels
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 31, 2025
ANISHINAABE AND DAKOTA TERRITORY, MB — The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is calling for urgent action to provide humanitarian support to the thousands of citizens in the Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Cross Lake) who have been left in the extreme cold. SCO stands with the Nation and supports calls from Chief David Monias and Council for a provincial state of emergency.
The failure of critical hydro infrastructure is forcing First Nations families to seek safety as they are without power in the middle of winter, with current temperatures below minus 30 Celsius. The lack of hydro power has placed Elders, babies, children, and community members with serious health issues at risk. This situation highlights long-standing gaps in infrastructure reliability and emergency preparedness.
“The Southern Chiefs’ Organization stands with our friends and northern relatives. We echo the calls for urgent action made by Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs,” said Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “The lack of power is causing serious issues for the entire Nation, which is the third largest in Manitoba. The Nation’s water reservoir is empty, the water treatment plant is not operational, and sewage systems are failing. This crisis reflects broader systemic failures that all levels of governments must confront on an urgent basis.”
This marks the second time in 2025 that a state of emergency in Manitoba has resulted in the displacement of First Nations, underscoring a troubling and preventable pattern that governments and service providers must address.
“First Nations have repeatedly raised concerns about aging and vulnerable infrastructure,” Daniels said. “In this case, Chief Monias and his Council have continuously raised concerns about the main hydro feeder lines as being outdated, difficult to repair, and at high risk of failure. Those warnings were not acted on and the outcome was entirely predictable. For years, Pimicikamak leaders have advocated for governments and Manitoba Hydro to honour the Northern Flood Agreement made in 1977—the current crisis demonstrates the importance of the implementation of this contractual agreement.”
Earlier this week, the Public Utilities Board announced a 4 per cent rate increase for Manitoba Hydro rates. This increase applies to all customers as of tomorrow, January 1, 2026. This hydro rate also impacts the citizens of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, even as the community remains in the midst of a state of emergency.
“First Nations facing chronic infrastructure failures are being asked to pay more for services that are not reliable,” Daniels said. “That reality speaks to a deeper issue of underinvestment and neglect that continues to put entire First Nations at risk.”
Grand Chief Daniels also pointed to a critical gap at the federal level. Despite the increasing frequency and severity of emergencies affecting First Nations, the 2025 federal budget did not include standalone, dedicated new funding for First Nations emergency preparedness or crisis response.
“Emergency preparedness cannot be treated as an afterthought,” Daniels said. “Without predictable, dedicated funding, First Nations are left reacting to crises instead of preventing them.”
SCO is calling on the Manitoba government, Manitoba Hydro, and the Canadian government to work collaboratively with First Nations leadership to invest in resilient infrastructure and comprehensive emergency preparedness measures that allow First Nations people to live safely, work, and age in place in their homes.
“This is about basic human decency,” Daniels added. “First Nations people deserve reliable infrastructure, respect, and the same standard of care afforded to communities elsewhere in this province and country. I urge all government leaders to take action today to ensure the safety and wellness for the citizens of Pimicikamak Cree Nation.”
-30-
The Southern Chiefs’ Organization represents 32 First Nations and more than 87,000 citizens in what is now called southern Manitoba. SCO is an independent political organization that protects, preserves, promotes, and enhances First Nations peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process.
For media inquiries:
Email: Media@scoinc.mb.ca