Cross Lake Band sues Manitoba Hydro over winter power outage

Chief David Monias and the Cross Lake Band of Indians (Pimicikamak Cree Nation) have filed a proposed class‑action lawsuit in Manitoba's Court of King's Bench. The claim relates to a power line failure on Dec. 28, 2025, which cut electricity to the remote community for several days, with service not restored until Jan. 2, 2026. Approximately 4,400 residents were forced to evacuate and more than 1,300 homes suffered damage such as burst pipes, frozen water systems and sewer backups.

The lawsuit seeks compensation for damages and the immediate installation of a secondary hydro line or backup power source. Defendants named are Manitoba Hydro, the Government of Manitoba and the federal Government of Canada. The band alleges that officials were warned for years that a catastrophic outage was inevitable. Manitoba Hydro has suggested the line was damaged by shotgun pellets, a claim the community disputes. The suit must be certified as a class action before proceeding.