Little Red River Cree Nation: CUZ42 John D'Or Prairie Emergency Water Pipeline from Adams Landing

    The 2023 Paskwa Wildfire resulted in considerable damage to the community of Fox Lake, requiring construction of new homes and community infrastructure to support re-entry of the residents. The community is considered to be not-habitable due to lack of support infrastructure and community services. Additionally, the community is isolated and may only accessed by air (year-round) and by barge across the Peace River during open-water conditions. These logistical constraints present additional considerations for the community recovery and increased timelines in the construction process.

    As such, approximately 1700 evacuee residents and construction contractors have been temporarily housed in tiny homes, with other families, and at two modular camps established in the community of John D'Or Prairie; expanding the population of John D'Or Prairie from 1435 people to 3135 people. The population increase is anticipated to increase the community's water demand beyond the winter base-flow supply volume of the Lawrence River where John D'Or Prairie currently draws its water. To alleviate the impending water supply constraints, construction of a new waterline from the John D'Or Prairie Water Treatment Plant to a proposed water intake location at Adams Landing has been expeditated. The new water system will be operated in two phases, initially with water pumped from the Peace River using portable pumps during winter 2023/24, and subsequently through a water intake structure anticipated to be constructed in the Peace River at a later date.

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