Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation

Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan is home to approximately 950 people. The community is repairing their water treatment system and improving operations, with funding from Indigenous Services Canada.

There is 1 long-term drinking water advisory affecting 145 homes and 10 community buildings:

• a boil water advisory on the Ministikwan Public Water System No. 161A – Mudie Lake was set in December 2024 and became long-term in December 2025.

The advisory was set due to issues with the membrane filtration system. Repairs to the filters and pumphouse are complete, and the membranes have been cleaned; however, they are currently offline due to ongoing challenges. Work is underway to improve chemical dosing, use different cleaning methods for the membranes and replace them if needed. Initial repairs to the Mudie Lake booster station are complete; however, critical equipment continually fails and the reason for failure is not yet known. Water treatment specialists are onsite, in addition to the First Nation’s engineer on record.

The community currently receives operational support from the Circuit Rider Training Program, which provides training and mentoring services to First Nations water operators. A Circuit Rider Trainer is helping to train local operators in the ongoing maintenance of the water treatment system to keep the community's water safe and clean.

Once repairs are complete and tests show the water is safe, the community should be able to lift the long-term drinking water advisory.