'The tanks are empty': Manitoba First Nation running out of fuel to heat homes during cold snap

Northern community running low on fuel for heating Josh Crabb reports on an isolated Manitoba First Nation community that is running low on fuel to heat homes during a cold snap.

Leaders of an isolated Manitoba First Nation community that is running low on fuel are scrambling to ensure residents have enough heat for their homes during an extreme cold snap.

Tadoule Lake, located in northern Manitoba, relies on a winter road for its annual fuel shipments, but heavy snowfall in the area has delayed the road’s opening this year. Chief Tony Powderhorn of the Sayisi Dene First Nation told CTV Winnipeg that the fuel is desperately needed to heat more than 100 homes in the community.

“People need fuel and that’s the bottom line,” he said during a telephone interview on Monday. “We live in a very tough environment up there. We have no access road at all year round."

Three homes in Tadoule Lake have already run out of fuel and have been using woodstoves for heat instead, according to band councillor Clifford Anderson.

“From what I heard, the tanks are empty,” resident Caroline Cheekie told CTV Winnipeg. “They’re totally right out.”

With overnight temperatures expected to dip into the minus thirties this week, community leaders have had to come up with a temporary solution to keep residents warm.

Tadoule Lake officials said they have been working with Manitoba Hydro, which has diesel tanks in the area, and the local airport to obtain a backup fuel supply until the winter road can open.

Manitoba Hydro said the fuel it stores in the community is used to supply diesel generators, which produce electricity for Tadoule Lake. Residents should be able to access that fuel to heat their homes on Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for the company.

Although it’s not the first time Tadoule Lake has run low on fuel, Powderhorn said this winter’s extreme cold is making the matter more urgent.

In an emailed statement, Indigenous Services Canada said it’s aware of the problem and has met with local leaders to discuss the situation.

The winter road is expected to open sometime between Feb. 23 and Feb. 28, according to a spokesperson for the Manitoba government.

With a report from CTV Winnipeg’s Josh Crab