Granville Lake — population, at least a couple.
These days, there is no official population count, the province says, for the First Nation settlement, which sits on a peninsula in northwestern Manitoba, near the Muskwanuk and Mistuhe islands.
The place is quiet, after the majority of houses were abandoned after an evacuation more than 20 years ago.
But at least one person remained.
Clarence Bighetty lives in his house on the east side of the community with his partner.
The 60-year-old does not have access to many basic services like treated water, home phone services or groceries, without travelling to the closest regional centre — Leaf Rapids, about 45 kilometres away.
The land is accessible only by boat in the summer or by snowmobile in the winter.
WATCH | Granville Lake 20 years after evacuation:
Granville Lake was evacuated more than 20 years ago after a sewage spill oozed into the streets. Many never moved back, believing it was unsafe. While only two people now live there year-round, some community members visit for a few weeks every summer, connecting with their roots. Producing and writing by Victoria Ptashnick, reporting by Jenna Dulewich and editing by Christine Gurniak.
But despite the isolation and lack of services, Bighetty says it’s a beautiful place to live.
“My elders taught me. I’ve been all over this land and all over the trails and, you know, they taught me well, and that’s why I take my knowledge and am trying to pass it on to the younger generation,” he said.
“We love our home, we love our land and we love our community.”
2003 sewage spill forced residents out
Granville Lake has been recognized by the province as a settlement since 1971. It still has about 12 structures standing, including 10 houses and a school that’s listed online as “temporarily closed.”
The community was evacuated in 2003, when its septic system failed, resulting in sewage spilling around the houses, onto the streets and into the lake.
The spill was a result of incompatible holding tanks, according to the province.
When the mayor ordered the evacuation, Granville Lake had a recorded population of close to 70 residents, according to Statistics Canada. The majority of evacuees ended up in Leaf Rapids.
After the spill, the remediation included a new local septic system with holding tanks and pumps, a lift station, a water treatment plant, a lagoon and water and sewer lines, according to…
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