South Indian Lake facts for kids
South Indian Lake is a community in northern Manitoba, Canada. It is located on the southeast shore of a large body of water called Southern Indian Lake. This area is about 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of the city of Thompson by air. In 2016, about 981 people lived there. South Indian Lake is the main home for the O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation. This is a First Nations group with its own band government.
How to Get There
You can reach the South Indian Lake community in a couple of ways. One way is by air, using the South Indian Lake Airport. The other way is by road, using Manitoba Provincial Road 493 (PR 493). This road is made of gravel. It starts at a place called Leaf Rapids on another gravel road, PR 391. From there, PR 493 goes northeast for about 219 kilometers (136 miles) until it reaches South Indian Lake. The closest big city, Thompson, is about 436 kilometers (271 miles) away by road.
History of the Community
The Hudson's Bay Company set up an important fur-trading post at South Indian Lake in 1803. This was a place where people traded animal furs.
In the 1960s, the people living at South Indian Lake were doing well on their own. They made money from fishing and trapping. Studies showed that families earned about $5,000 per year. This was much more than many other First Nations communities in the north at that time. Most of the people living there were First Nations members.
Changes Due to the Churchill River Diversion
In 1967, a big project was planned. It was called the Churchill River Diversion (CRD). This project would change the flow of water from the Churchill River into the Nelson River at Southern Indian Lake. The goal was to send more water to power plants on the lower Nelson River.
However, this project would cause the area around South Indian Lake to flood. This meant the community would need to move. Experts studied the situation and suggested plans for moving the community. They thought that moving would change the way of life for the people of South Indian Lake.
The Churchill River Diversion raised the water level of Southern Indian Lake by about 3 meters (10 feet). This forced the community, which had about 500 people, to move to a new location.
