Red Earth evacuees return to their homes

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The residents of Red Earth First Nation who were forced to flee the rising waters of the Carrot River last month are back home, working to clean up the damage done to their community.

Close to 1,000 people were evacuated from Red Earth in mid-April after efforts to keep the river from flooding the community failed.

Residents began returning at the end of the month as flood waters subsided.

"The schools are all open this week as well as the administration office. And apparently the members there are working at taking down the sand bag barriers and cleaning up. So it's returning back to normal," Noreen Kotowich, senior communications officer for Indian and Northern Affair Canada (INAC) Saskatchewan region, said during a telephone interview on May 2.

About 20 homes sustained water damage during the flooding, but only three of those suffered any major damage. Some roads and dikes are also in need of repair.

The evacuation of the community went smoothly, Kotowich said, thanks to the co-ordinated efforts of the First Nation, INAC, the province and the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority.

"The First Nation had an evacuation plan and I think that really spoke well to the First Nation and how well it all unfolded," she said.

"It was well co-ordinated. It all went according to the plan."