Housing

The housing stock is aging and there are many homes that are too small to accommodate the people who live in them. In a 2003 Community Survey, less than 1% reported their homes were less than one year old. Currently 37% of homes are over twenty years old, 50% report their houses to be in good repair and only 33% believe there are reasonable living accommodations in the community, 41% say their home is not large enough for all the people who live there.

Several homes have mold, an environmental contributor to respiratory disease. In a 2003 Community Survey, 81% reported to having viewed a mold problem in the community.

Water Treatment Plant 

The community gets water from Lake Manitoba, which is then treated to drinkable standards. The water is distributed through the main water line system and water truck services. The main water line reaches 70% of homes in the community while the remaining 30% still relies on water delivery services.

Roads

The Reserve's Main Road is unpaved and runs East 5.3 KM from Highway 50 though the Townsite ending at Lake Road. All roads are maintained by the Band Office with regular grading; however road surfaces are poor.

In a Manitoba First Nations Regional Health Survey, 86% of Sandy Bay respondents indicated that road conditions were a major problem in the community compared with 50% of other Manitoba First Nations.

Dust is a major problem causing decreased visibility and respiratory problems. In a 2003 Community Survey 68% viewed environmental pollution as a problem in the community, 83% identified road dust as a pollution problem, 93% said that environmental pollution has affected the health of the community. The survey also found that 87% expressed concern about traffic safety with 72% reporting the issue as important or very important to them.

Traffic Hazards

Young children have been noticed walking on the roads and paying little attention to motor vehicle traffic. If you see children on the road please slow down.

High growth in the ditches has also been reported each year. It is advised to take caution when driving in areas with high growth in the ditches.

Sanitation

Garbage waste is collected weekly and transported to the Sandy Bay Dump to be burned or buried. The current waste disposal site was constructed in 1995. All garbage waste should be bagged and placed in bins near the end of roads.

Some community members have constructed landfill sites near their homes. For public safety reasons it is not advised to create personal landfill sites as it is hazardous.

There are 16% of homes connected to a sewer main line while the remaining 86% have septic tanks or fields. Trucks collect sewage one or two times weekly and are transported to the sewage lagoon where it is treated in holding cells. After the sewage has made it through the stages of the holding cells it is then released into Lake Manitoba. The sewage lagoon was constructed in 1997/98.

Maintenance Yard

The Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation has a bus shelter that houses all bus transportation for the Isaac Beaulieu Memorial School. This service provides repair and maintenance for all buses including one 45-passenger motor coach.

Septic Service Routes

Click here to see routes

Water Delivery Routes

Click here to see routes