Cumberland House, Sask., has limited access to food and supplies, while Highway 123 is a “muddy road,” locals say

According to Raven Chaboyer, if people want to enter or exit Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, they do so at their own risk. Now the community, already running low on food and supplies, could remain isolated for another week due to forecast rains.

“The roads are muddy and muddy. The trucks get stuck all the time. There is no cell phone reception on this street. So if you get stuck, you get stuck there,” the 17-year-old said.

“Our elders are very worried because most of them cannot leave the house by themselves. We are worried about their health and safety. The ambulances do not even leave the city, they only take people there by plane.”

Highway 123 is the road the community relies on to transport groceries, mail or fuel, and the road emergency services must travel to help those in need. If it is not passable, the community is effectively cut off from the rest of the province.

Raven and her grandmother, Laura Chaboyer, say their community is also running an online petition that is nearing its goal of 1,500 signatures to get the highway operational. (Submitted by Raven Chaboyer)

Due to recent rains, crossing the road to the community has become even more difficult.

Raven said there have always been large potholes on the gravel roads, but the problems always get worse in the spring and fall.

“There are no paved roads around Cumberland House and on the roads into Thunder Rapids. Small vehicles cannot move,” she said, adding that drivers sometimes refused to bring in food boxes.

“Our petrol and tank trucks don’t arrive because of our roads. Food trucks come twice a week, but with the condition of the roads they couldn't get there at all… people have appointments with doctors and they had to cancel because of their roads.

“We’re out of bread now.”

Raven said these conditions have been going on for longer than she has been alive. Her grandmother Laura Chaboyer, who was born and raised in the community, agrees.

“This problem has existed forever. My husband is the grocery manager at the store and he is not allowed to bring essential items for the community,” Laura said.

“We are out of bread in the shops now and they are not expecting a delivery this week because it has rained so much and it is expected to rain for a few more days.”

While no food deliveries are expected this week, in the last two weeks the community has had to send 13 pickup trucks on the 57-mile route to pick up the cargo, according to Laura.

“A lot of us have SUVs and cars and if you can’t get on the highway, you get stuck,” Laura said.

Raven Chaboyer says driving on the muddy highway isn't ideal and because of the roads, gas trucks and food trucks don't arrive. She says people have missed their doctor's appointments for fear of getting stuck on the road. (Submitted by Raven Chaboyer)

Despite being the oldest community in Saskatchewan, Laura said she can't “receive the services that other communities receive.”

The community is also running an online petition, which is nearing its goal of 1,500 signatures, asking for support to build the highway.

“Residents who rely on dialysis up to three times a week are forced to leave the community for care but struggle with unreliable road conditions,” the petition states.

Laura, a teaching assistant at the community school, came up with a parody version titled Muddy streetsby John Denver Take me home, country roads and sang it with other teachers to raise awareness of road conditions.

Plans to invest $3.3 million to improve Highway 123

In an emailed statement Monday, the Roads Department said it has been a challenging spring for this road.

In 2017, the ministry stated that rebuilding the road was too expensive, as building a road to a solid, permanent gravel surface in southern Saskatchewan cost between $300,000 and $400,000 per kilometer at the time.

“Given that Highway 123, which is 70 kilometers long, lies to the north, partly along the Canadian Shield and the Saskatchewan River Delta, the cost could quadruple due to technical challenges,” the ministry said at the time.

But the ministry said it took some steps in early May to help improve the gravel section of Highway 123 south of Cumberland House.

It said it temporarily limited truck weight to eight tons to prevent further damage to the road and placed about 130 tons – or about 15 truckloads – of rock material around a three-kilometer stretch of road south of Cumberland House to reinforce.

In 2017, locals said driving along a 90-kilometer stretch of Highway 123 sometimes took up to three hours due to its deteriorating condition. The dangers still exist today. (Anne Marie Kidd/Facebook)

“The ministry will work with trucking companies to ensure food, fuel and other essential goods reach Cumberland House,” the statement said.

“Information boards will be installed informing travelers of the conditions and recommending only four-wheel drive trucks. A contractor will be deployed to the scene to assist in ejecting motorists if necessary.”

During this construction season, the department plans to invest $3.3 million to improve Highway 123 south of Cumberland House and that it has already invested $4.3 million to improve road quality and improve them annually To be widened in 2019 to improve Highway 123 from Cumberland House to 32 kilometers south.

The department said it has invested $2.47 million over the past three years to maintain approximately 138 kilometers of Highway 123 from the Highway 55 intersection to Cumberland House.