Red Earth First Nation Evacuates

Red Earth First Nation Evacuates

Friday, April 20, 2007 at 21:24

 

 

The first group of evacuees from the Red Earth First Nation left the troubled reserve today.

 

Emergency flood coordinator Roy Head says 690 people from the band’s main reserve will head to Prince Albert and Saskatoon.

 

He explains the water has been steadily rising since last night and is threatening some homes.

 

Head says at this point it looks as though the band’s other reserve will not have to be evacuated but he cautions they still have a long way to go.

 

He says so far things are running smoothly.

 

Meantime, Doug Johnson of the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority says the situation facing the band is very similar to last year.

 

He expects peak flows to go through the reserve on Sunday, but it won’t drain out of there anytime soon.

 

This year, the water is registering a flow of 650 cubic metres per second. Last year the flow was at 800.

 

Johnson says at this point there is no reason to think Cumberland House or Shoal Lake are in danger of flooding.