Heavy, wet snow caused the collapse of a school’s roof on a remote northern Manitoba First Nation.
O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation Chief Shirley Ducharme says the damage to the school — which was already in need of repair — is just the latest challenge for a community already under a state of emergency.
In a statement Tuesday, Ducharme said engineers will assess the damage, and it’s not currently known how long the community will be without a school.
“The large amount of snowfall this winter caused the roof of our school to collapse,” she said.
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“The high winds lifted the sheet metal and left the roof bare, which concerns us because with freezing rain forecasted for the area, it could cause further damage to our school.
“We have been in need of repairs to our school for some time and this certainly doesn’t help matters.”
O-Pipon-Na-Piwin — located on South Indian Lake, around 130 kilometres north of Thompson — has been working with the help of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) on getting a new school to replace the current facility, which is a half-century old,
“It seems when it rains it pours sometimes,” said MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee.
O-Pipon-Na-Piwin declared a state of emergency early last month after a string of deaths in the community, caused by addictions and mental health issues.
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