A huge failure of the system : frustration at lengthy power outage panow.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from panow.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
With no definite time frame on when power will be restored, the Town of La Ronge, Northern Village of Air Ronge and all six communities of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) have submitted emergency declarations to the province.
La Ronge Mayor Colin Ratushniak said all essential services are still available and residents are not in a dire situation but the declaration opens the communities to emergency funding and puts them on a priority list for resources if needed.
“We’ve been without power for 32 hours. In households we’re seeing temperatures dip to 10 degrees and the outside temp is below zero. We’ve already had freezing rain and snow develop so our biggest concern is keeping people warm,” Ratushniak said. “On top of that, without power it makes it challenging for people to cook adequate food..and again declaring that state of emergency opens up our resources to be able to support residents in the best way we possibly can.”
Reporter Derek Cornet described the scene as very busy with people lining up for food, cigarettes and essentials, although it appeared there was no gas available. It was not immediately clear if they had run out or they were unable to use their gas pumps because of the power outage. The store is running on a generator.
Roseanne Dery was in the line-up. She works at the local school and had to go home early when they lost power in the afternoon. But she used her camping gear at home to get through last night and this morning .
“I just pulled out the camp stove and my head lamp and that sort of stuff and kind of made do,” she said. “This morning I made coffee on my camp stove. A lot of people here in the North have camping gear.”
The body of missing man Matthew Hamm, who disappeared while boating on Weyakwin Lake, was recovered Wednesday.
He was found by a team with Lloydminster Rescue Squad, who had assisted in the search for Hamm ever since he was last seen Sept. 23, 2020. Squad deputy chief Ryan Leblanc explained it was the fourth time the group had looked for him on Weyakwin Lake, noting this time they utilized a drone and fan boat.
“The ice was coming off, so we started the search the morning of May 12 and, just at 9:30 a.m., we successfully located Matthew’s body and were able to successfully recover him and bring him to the shoreline for the RCMP and coroners service to conduct their investigation,” Leblanc said.
In an interview with
larongeNOW, he was asked about the low number of people deciding to receive a COVID vaccine in some Far North Central communities. Adam himself already has received two shots of the Moderna vaccine, which he described as one of the better ways of effectively dealing with the virus. But, he added, some residents have been seeking alternatives.
“Right now, people have choices and some people are trying traditional medicines as well too, and some people are choosing not to and some people are looking at the vaccine as a way to help them,” Adam said. “We do have choices and it’s a choice of what people take and, of course, as long as we take care of ourselves and we protect ourselves and stuff like that, we just hope others will do the same as well too. But, again, it’s rights and stuff like that and we have to respect that.”