Notice of Intent to Make a Determination

Deschambault Lake Lagoon Expansion - Public Comments invited

May 5, 2025 - Indigenous Services Canada must determine whether the proposed Deschambault Lake Lagoon Expansion, to be located on Kimosom Pwatinahk I.R No. 203  is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. To help inform this determination, Indigenous Services Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination.

Written comments must be submitted by June 4, 2025 to:

Indigenous Services Canada
2010 12th Avenue
Regina, SK  S4P 0M3

Telephone: 306-581-3134
Email: isc-skenv@sac-isc.gc.ca

Proposed Project

The Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) Kimosom Pwatinahk I.R No. 203 (Deschambault Lake) is proposing the development of the Deschambault Lake Lagoon Expansion. The community of Deschambault Lake is located approximately 150 km west of Flin Flon, Manitoba and has a (2024) population of approx. 1,600 persons. The community's existing wastewater treatment and disposal infrastructure was constructed in 1997 and currently consists of gravity sewer collection, eight lift stations, sewage force mains, and a two-cell facultative lagoon. The existing lagoon is located east of Highway 911, approx. 2 km south of the community and consists of one primary (treatment) cell and one secondary (storage) cell. The lagoon effluent discharges into a drainage channel that eventually discharges into Deschambault Lake. The current lagoon was designed to treat wastewater for a population of approx. 1,250 which is not adequate for the volume of wastewater presently generated by the community. The community is anticipating growth and the construction of additional dwellings over the next 20 years. To meet the projected wastewater generation volumes and the current, more stringent provincial effluent quality regulations, upgrade of the exiting facultative lagoon is required.

The new primary treatment cell will be constructed approximately 150 m northeast of the existing lagoon system. The primary treatment cell will cover an area of 7.62 hectares. Liquid depth for the primary cell at design operating stage shall not exceed 1.5 m, with a height of berm set at 2.5 m above the floor. This will include a geomembrane liner and protected sand cover over the liner, and a subdrain system (weeping tile). The lagoon access road will be extended approximately 700 m to reach the new primary treatment cell. A new truck turn-around and truck dump will be installed to service the population that utilize truck haul. The existing 200 mm diameter sanitary sewer forcemain will be decommissioned and routed to the new primary treatment cell.