The Cross Lake Band of Indians has launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against Manitoba Hydro, the federal government and the Province of Manitoba, alleging years of ignored warnings left the northern First Nation vulnerable to the 110-hour power outage that displaced thousands of residents last winter.
The statement of claim, filed Tuesday in the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, seeks damages as well as court orders requiring Manitoba Hydro to build a redundant power line to the community and governments to improve emergency power, water and wastewater infrastructure. None of the allegations have been tested in court.
The proposed lawsuit stems from a power outage that began Dec. 28, 2025, when the sole transmission line serving Cross Lake failed, leaving the community without electricity for about 110 hours. The claim says more than 4,000 residents were evacuated or displaced and about 650 members remain unable to return home because of damage caused by the outage.
At a news conference Wednesday, Chief David Monias said the community repeatedly warned Manitoba Hydro and governments that its electrical system lacked adequate redundancy and was vulnerable to a prolonged winter outage.
“For years we’ve raised concerns to all governments and Manitoba Hydro, warning that a catastrophic event was inevitable,” Monias said. “Our warnings weren’t heard then and they are not being heard now.”
The lawsuit also challenges Manitoba Hydro’s public explanation of what caused the outage.
Following the incident, Hydro said a preliminary examination found shotgun-pellet damage to aerial marker balls and the power line. The utility released photographs showing pellet damage and said the information had been shared as part of its investigation.
However, the statement of claim alleges Hydro’s own root-cause investigation did not conclude that firearm damage, shotgun pellets, vandalism or third-party shooting caused or contributed to the failure.
According to the claim, Hydro later acknowledged the conductor failed inside a marker ball that showed no signs of pellet damage and that the utility could not determine why the failure occurred. The lawsuit further alleges Hydro’s public statements led people to infer members of the community may have been responsible for the outage.
“It is adding insult to injury to infer we were somehow to blame,” Monias said. “Our community relies on hydro to survive. To imply anyone of us would place all our relatives in danger is shocking.”
The claim also alleges Hydro made operational mistakes during the restoration effort, including directing repair crews to the wrong location and improperly re-energizing the line, delaying the return of power. It further alleges governments failed to provide adequate emergency preparedness, backup power and infrastructure despite repeated requests dating back several years.
The proposed class action seeks compensation for evacuation, housing, infrastructure and other losses, along with declarations that Manitoba and Canada must ensure improved electrical, water and emergency infrastructure for the community. It must be certified by a judge before it can proceed as a class action.
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Jul 30, 2026 at 10:59
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