Flooding on Sask. First Nation was 'the worst I've ever seen,' former resident says

Temporary bridges now connect Cote First Nation to the surrounding area as the band's efforts to assess and repair flooded homes continue.

Flooding on Sask. First Nation was 'the worst I've ever seen,' former resident says 'The weather is not the way that it used to be,' says Alerena Brazeau, 72 Alerena Brazeau, a member of the Cote First Nation, says she has never witnessed flooding comparable to what occurred there in early July. The First Nation, located about 330 kilometres east of Saskatoon as the crow flies, was forced to declare a state of emergency when the main roads leading into the community were washed out.

Brazeau, 72, who now lives in Yorkton, said after seeing the severity of the storms all she could do was hope for the best for her family and community. "The weather is not the way that it used to be," she said, adding that she doesn't remember any roads washing out before. "This is the worst that I've ever seen."

Chief George Cote recalled receiving an alert about the rising water levels as the water was starting to cover the roads. "We put out a notice to our membership to be careful if they are going to go out and do not try to cross at these crossings. Then the [roads] started to erode away," he told CBC Saskatchewan.

"All our houses had flooded basements and crawl spaces. So we tried to get our pumps together ... [to] start pumping out the water from our homes so it wouldn't cause any more damage."

Cote said it was difficult to monitor all of the roads because of the heavy rainfall. "We had some of our members out there directing traffic," he recalled. "Not allowing the cars to pass because otherwise they would sink into the sinkholes that were forming around the perimeter of the highways."

This is the first time the community has had to deal with flooding this severe, he said, noting that many other communities in the area were also dealing with flooding. Temporary bridges are now in place to help people travel in and out, he said. "We're grateful that there is a bridge put up so that our people that are on dialysis and have medical appointments can make it to the hospital and wherever they have to be."

Brazeau said she was happy so many people worked together to get through the crisis. "People ... were stranded in their homes and so people were making their way to go there and give them medications and food and water and stuff," she said. "I think they handled it really, really well."

Byron Langan, who works in public works and housing for the First Nation, said the flooding was the most severe he's ever witnessed, as water seeped into people's basements and crawlspaces. "Right now we have 50-plus units affected by flooding," he said. "Currently right now we're working with our broker, and we are continuing to get calls from occupants about the damage, and that there's still water in some basements and some crawl spaces."

Langan said the band is bringing in companies to assess the water damage to the homes and the three main roads that were affected. "There's going to be some major repairs that's going to be done," he said. "We're hoping to start doing repairs as soon as possible."

According to a daily update from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), nine residents of the First Nation "remain evacuated due to flooding and are receiving support from the community." The SPSA continues to provide updates on the evacuation, but is not actively participating in the recovery operations. With files from The Morning Edition