Cote First Nation rebuilding after flooding cuts community off for two days

A section of Highway 8 south of Cote First Nation, shortly after it collapsed due to intense flooding, cutting off the community for days. (Courtesy: Alvin "Sal" Cote)

Cote First Nation is continuing recovery efforts after heavy rainfall last week caused widespread flooding, damaged infrastructure and temporarily cut the community off from surrounding areas.

The First Nation declared a state of emergency after intense rainfall overwhelmed culverts, creeks and drainage systems.

“We just experienced a great amount of water at once and our infrastructure, culverts and creeks filling up just couldn’t handle the overflow,” Chief George Cote told CTV News.

The storm flooded numerous basements in the community but response efforts were complicated as roads to the east, west and north became impassable.

Band member Wayne Laughren said residents rushed to secure pumps from nearby Kamsack to help remove water from their homes.

“We all went on getting pumps, and we made it back in time before the road went out. If we didn’t make it back in time with all the pumps, we would have a lot more homes that were damaged,” Laughren said.

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Video captured by a band member showed a large crack forming on Highway 8 south of the community. Shortly afterward, the pavement collapsed beneath a vehicle, severing access to the reserve for two days.

Chief Cote said the community worked to ensure residents with urgent medical needs were moved before roads became completely impassable.

“The Yorkton Tribal Council and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, the Red Cross, and also our leadership and our staff and the people came together to bring the supplies that are required for our people,” Chief Cote said. “There was no lives lost, and we really appreciate that. Now it’s time to rebuild.”

The Ministry of Highways later installed a temporary bridge and cleared water from nearby roadways, restoring access to Cote First Nation and surrounding communities, such as Key First Nation and Keeseekose First Nation.

“A temporary bridge is put there until highways has time to rebuild it, repave it and install a new culvert so that it can be fixed up,” said Chief Cote.

In an update Thursday, the Ministry of Highways said it is still too early to determine when permanent repairs will be completed.

“Permanent repairs are made after the water all recedes, things have dried up, engineers have a good assessment of what needs to be done,” said Dan Palmer, senior communications consultant with the Ministry of Highways. “Until those things occur, it’s difficult to pinpoint a timeline.”

He couldn’t say whether a permanent fix can be expected to happen this year.

The heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding wasn’t the only natural disaster to strike the reserve. A few days priors to the road caving in, a tornado ripped through the area.

For residents, the focus remains on repairing damaged homes and removing water from flooded basements.

Laughren said some homeowners are still dealing with significant structural damage.

“[Laughren’s brother’s] basement’s heaving now. There’s a bunch of cracks, and it’s kind of coming up from the ground, the water is pushing it up,” he said.

“It’s pretty bad.”

He estimated hundreds of basements throughout the community still need to be cleaned up.

The flooding also forced Cote First Nation to postpone its annual powwow and rodeo. Chief Cote said both events have been rescheduled for August as the community continues recovery efforts.