Sask. premier pledges to fix lone road to Cumberland House, despite cutting northern highway budget
The mayor and councillors of Cumberland House have declared a state of emergency over the poor state of the only road in and out of town — Saskatchewan Highway 123.
Residents of Cumberland House contacted CTV News earlier this month reporting the unpaved portion of Highway 123 was in disrepair and becoming hazardous to travel. Since then, rainy weather has made conditions even worse, and supply trucks are unable to consistently get food, fuel and other supplies into the village.
The Ministry of Highways indicated it had planned to spend $3.3 million this summer on repairs of the road, which locals say is built level with the ditch, making it highly susceptible to flooding.
On Thursday, Premier Scott Moe signaled he would consider a larger investment to fix the issues with Highway 123.
“We’ll work with the community on any immediate challenges that they have and also work with the community on, you know, what the investment looks like for that road in the future, and I would say it needs to be more, not less,” he said Thursday morning at an event in Whitecap Dakota First Nation.
(Courtesy: Aaron Fosseneuve)
Moe said Highway 123 was a “priority conversation” in the Ministry of Highways and he would be meeting with ministry officials to find out what needs to be done to make sure the road is passable in the short term.
Looking forward, the premier indicated it may be time to discuss whether the province is funding highways appropriately.
In the 2024 provincial budget, the Sask. Party cut Ministry of Highways funding for northern infrastructure by nearly $16 million — money that would have gone toward roads like Highway 123.
“We need to continue to have a conversation around, you know, what is our maintenance funding on those roads? Should it be increased," he said.
“There's more work to do and I think there's more reason for us to continue to look at the level of funding that we have in our highways budget and continue to look at increasing it, not cutting it.”
The Cumberland House Cree Nation is expected to join the village and declare a state of emergency on Friday.
Since supply trucks have been unable to travel reliably, local grocers have been running out of food. Veronica Favel, deputy mayor of the northern village, said their store is without bread or milk, and they only have about a two weeks supply of fuel on hand.
The grocery store in the Northern Village of Cumberland House is running out of supplies, and many shelves are sitting empty. (Courtesy: Veronica Favel)
An online petition calling on the Ministry of Highways for “immediate action” to secure safe and reliable access to Cumberland House has gathered nearly 1,800 signatures since it was launched one week ago.
The petition, started by Janelle Thomas, says the impassable roadway is putting people’s lives at risk.
“Ambulances cannot make it through the muddy roads, putting our sick and elderly residents at risk of further illness or even death,” the petition says.
“Residents who rely on dialysis up to three times a week must leave the community for care but struggle with unreliable road conditions. This situation is unacceptable for a community with such historical significance.”
Cumberland House is Saskatchewan’s oldest settlement, celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. It’s located about 300 kilometres northeast of Prince Albert.
The village administrator says this tow truck got stuck attempting to pick up a medical truck that died on the highway due to the potholes and ruts. (Courtesy: Village of Cumberland House)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Raised in Sask. after his family fled Hungary, this man spent decades spying on communists for the RCMP
As a Communist Party member in Calgary in the early 1940s, Frank Hadesbeck performed clerical work at the party office, printed leaflets and sold books.
Bird flu, measles top 2025 concerns for Canada's chief public health officer
As we enter 2025, Dr. Theresa Tam has her eye on H5N1 bird flu, an emerging virus that had its first human case in Canada this year.
DEVELOPING Body found in wheel well of plane at Maui airport
A person was found dead in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight to Maui on Tuesday.
Police identify victim of Christmas Day homicide in Hintonburg, charge suspect
The Ottawa Police Service says the victim who has been killed on Christmas Day in Hintonburg has been identified.
Christmas shooting at Phoenix airport leaves 3 people wounded
Police are investigating a Christmas shooting at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix that left three people injured by gunfire.
Ship remains stalled on St-Lawrence River north of Montreal
A ship that lost power on the St. Lawrence River on Christmas Eve, remains stationary north of Montreal.
Finland stops Russia-linked vessel over damaged undersea power cable in Baltic Sea
Finnish authorities detained a ship linked to neighboring Russia as they investigate whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables, police said, in the latest incident involving disruption of key infrastructure.
Your kid is spending too much time on their phone. Here's what to do about it
Wondering what your teen is up to when you're not around? They are likely on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram or Snapchat, according to a new report.
Bird flu kills more than half the big cats at a Washington sanctuary
Bird flu has been on the rise in Washington state and one sanctuary was hit hard: 20 big cats – more than half of the facility’s population – died over the course of weeks.