Manitoba family tired of moving since 2011 flood, wants to go home

WINNIPEG – A family on a northern Manitoba First Nation that has been forced to move more than 15 times since the flood of 2011 says they don’t know if they will have a place to live come Feb. 1.

Albert Sutherland and his wife, Cheryl, say they have lived on the Peguis First Nation their whole lives and just want to go home.

Last year, they and their eight children moved into a new modular home on the reserve only to find out it has major issues.

A Peguis First Nation report says the homes had problems with mould and faulty ventilation plus electrical and structural problems.

The family then had to stay in a cramped trailer last summer, hoping the repairs would be quick so they could move into the house before winter.

But the house has since been stripped right down to its concrete foundation in an effort to fix the problems.

“We got put back into Winnipeg into a hotel,” said Cheryl Sutherland. “And we were bounced around between two hotels week after week.”

The Sutherlands have been renting a house in Winnipeg for two months but don’t know if there will be funding for a third.

Related: First Nations, town prepare for flooding in western Manitoba

Earlier this week, they took their concerns to federal officials only to be told it is Peguis First Nation’s responsibility.

“We still don’t have answers today and we need to know who’s responsible for this mess,” said Cheryl Sutherland.

The Sutherlands say the band still hasn’t made it clear if there is funding available to repair the modular home or to cover their rent.

Repeated attempts to reach Chief Cindy Spence of Peguis First Nation were unsuccessful.

The Sutherlands home is one of dozens of brand-new modular homes on the first nation that are uninhabitable and need extensive repairs.

The band purchased them with federal funding at cost of several million dollars.

According to numbers from the federal government, there are still more than 2,400 Manitoba First Nations evacuees from 2011 and 2014, with a total cost for their accommodations approaching $140 million.