There is a blockade on highway 280 going into Split Lake. The barricade was put up at midnight Tuesday and the community is not letting contractors or Manitoba Hydro employees into the community.

 

Councillor Melanie Spence organized this closure.  

 

Here she talks about why.

 

“Because there are a lot of outstanding issues that Manitoba Hydro are choosing to ignore. One of them is PR 280. That is one of the main things that they’ve ignored,  is the request for pavement. If this was Winnipeg this would never happen. We’re supposed to be partners with Manitoba Hydro and they’re treating us like second class citizens.”

 

Spence says Manitoba Hydro and the province were told about this possible blockade about a month ago.

 

“They knew there was a blockade about to happen. There was a letter given to Steve Ashton on Monday.”

 

She says the blockade will stay up until they hear back about having their roads paved.

 

Steve Ashton, Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation was unavailable for a comment.