Mr. Speaker, during the past two weeks many communities in northeast Saskatchewan have declared a state of emergency due to rising flood waters in our lakes and rivers. In some places the water is at its highest level in decades.
On Wednesday morning, most of the 700 people from the Red Earth Cree Nation began to return to their homes after being evacuated six days prior. Last year, evacuees from this community had to endure a 12 day absence from their homes. This year's improvement is a direct result of the preparation, determination and hard work of a dedicated group of officials and volunteers.
I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the men and women of the Saskatchewan Public Safety Department, the Prince Albert Grand Council, the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, and especially the Red Earth Cree Nation people themselves, and all the other volunteers, emergency workers and businesses in Prince Albert and Saskatoon who helped make this ordeal a little more manageable for the people affected.
I invite all my colleagues in the House to join me in praising these organizations and individuals for their efforts.