The sewage backup occurred a week before Christmas. (Submitted photo/Wayne Bird)

By Derek Cornet

assistance

Homeowner on the hook for damages after sewage backup

Jan 4, 2023 | 5:10 PM

A single father of two is reaching out to tri-community residents for help after the sewer backed up into his home last month.

Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) member Wayne Bird, who lives in Far Reserve, was at home on Dec. 16 when he heard the sound of water rushing downstairs. When he went down to inspect, he saw sewage rushing in through a drainage pipe and it continued to gush in all night.

By morning, there were seven inches of sewage on the floor.

“I called facilities, and they came. It stopped that day and it drained,” Bird said. “They were just pushing whatever out of the way and it was going down the drain and that’s all they could do. It happened the next day again, so they came back. All they could do was just watch it drain on its own. They didn’t do anything to help it along, they just left it like that.”

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Since then, Bird has been living with his parents and his children are staying with their mom. He said the band offered accommodations at a living facility in Morin’s Hill, but he turned down the offer.

Bird mentioned the cost of the clean-up is an estimated $7,000, which doesn’t include replacing drywall, and insulation, as well as a new furnace, water heater, washer and dryer, along with any other belonging on the floor at that time.

Bird said he reached out to multiple band councillors who have yet to respond to his request for financial assistance. He doesn’t believe the sewage backup was his fault and he believes the band should cover the costs. Bird, who owns his own home, didn’t have insurance when the incident took place.

The incident left a mess in the basement estimated to cost thousand of dollars. (Submitted photo/Wayne Bird)

The sewage was up to seven inches deep at one point. (Submitted photo/Wayne Bird)

“The councillors never reached back out to me that’s why I am putting it out on Facebook to see if any of my friends can help,” he said.

“It’s been already over two weeks and I’m not sure what to do next. That’s why I went to Facebook to do it on my own. I still need my house back regardless of whose fault it was. I feel it wasn’t my fault that it flooded, so one of them should be held responsible.”

larongeNOW reached out to the LLRIB for comment on this story but didn’t receive a response by publishing. If any community members wish to assist Bird, he can be reached via Facebook or waynebird@hotmail.com.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno