First Nation ‘devastated’ after decades of flooding, building dikes for protection

Alyson Kakiwash thought this could be the last time she would see her home. It was a lake around here, like literally they had to drive, use a motorboat to come save me and my family. The Goldeye Creek in Fisher River Cree Nation spilled its banks four years ago. In a matter of hours, it surrounded the house. A tiger dam saved the property from being condemned. Probably the worst flood I've ever had since living here. I was away from my home for six to eight weeks. Fisher River has flooded significantly on average every six years over the last decade. The Interlake First Nation has long asked for money to mitigate the next natural disaster. Millions in provincial funding rolled out in the spring. Now crews are building clay dikes to protect vulnerable homes. This was the first time the provincial government was assisting as much as they have or have at all. Director of Operations Lauren Cochran says About 18 homes will need a dike of its own. The seven most at-risk properties should have one before the end of the year. We want to look at the comfort of our people, not having them evacuated. It's devastating to see the damage it does to them. Years of pledges finally come into action this fall. The help arrived too late for Doug Beyer. How soon do you think that we need those dikes built? 20 years ago, yeah. Sandbagging did little to protect his home. His property flooded for years when winds pushed Lake Winnipeg inland. Tired of waiting for an alternative, Bayer built his own dike. I'm gonna step down here. The dike's about up to just over my knees. He started in 2010. By 2017 he had packed almost 30 truckloads of clay into a nearly four feet tall wall that surrounded most of his property except his driveway which he thought was high But in 2021, water spilled over and into his yard, then twice again in 2022. You couldn't see any land there at the height of the flood. It was just water. I had waves in my yard. I got to get this sorted out because I'm 69. I can't keep doing this. At some point, it's got to be good enough. Fisher River is planning to build at least 57 dikes for roughly 150 properties, including buyers. Heavy Machinery is also digging out to create a new residential neighborhood. Lands Governance Director Clifford Kirtner says Fisher River needs more homes built out of the floodplain. The First Nation is making the space for 122 of them. The reason that we're doing it is so we don't have to evacuate. People don't want to go to Winnipeg. They don't want to be displaced. They want to be in their homes. Elders want to stay at home. The subdivision is for families who want to move out of Waters Way. But Kakiwash's only wish is to stay where she has lived since 1996. This is my home, you know, where I built a life with me and my children. Wooden poles showing where her new dike will be, giving her hope that water won't displace her again. Santiago Arias Orozco, CBC News, Fisher River Cree Nation.