Impassable Road Prompts Hamlet To Evacuate
Thursday, May 04, 2006 at 15:45
Helicopters are evacuating Timber Bay residents today now that their only road out has become impassable because of spring run-off.
Montreal Lake Cree Nation band director Darrell Naytowhow says the road has become so bad, vehicles are getting stuck on it and no one can get through.
He says the band had no choice but to get the residents out.
Naytowhow estimates as many as 200 Timber Bay residents will be evacuated.
Many of them will be sent to Prince Albert.
Naytowhow notes Highway 969 used to be in good condition just a few years ago. However, he claims the creation of a new road has led to neglect of the old one.
Meanwhile, an official from the Department of Highways and Transportation says they are monitoring the situation.
Doug Wakabayashi says he sympathizes with the residents’ plight.
Crews and equipment are waiting to fix up the road, but Wakabayashi says they need things to dry out first.
He adds the department attempted to fix the road last year but soon ran into wet weather.
He says an abnormal amount of moisture over the past two years has led to the present situation.