While the Rich Play Games, Indigenous Communities are Left to Freeze: Canada’s Olympic Obsession Ignores Real Crisis at Home

But while we collectively hold our breath, willing our athletes to victory on foreign ice, a chilling reality persists much closer to home.

News trickled out this week of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Manitoba, grappling with a devastating four-day power outage. A power outage so severe it triggered burst pipes, leaving thousands without water. Imagine it: facing sub-zero temperatures with no reliable access to clean water. Yet, amidst this crisis, many chose to stay, refusing to abandon their homes and neighbours. This is resilience, yes, but it’s also a damning indictment of a system that consistently fails Indigenous communities.

The contrast is stark, isn’t it? The resources, the expertise, the sheer will to ensure a pristine hockey rink thousands of kilometers away, versus the chronic underfunding and neglect that leaves Indigenous communities vulnerable to basic infrastructure failures.

We celebrate Canadian ingenuity on the world stage, but what about the ingenuity required to survive a preventable crisis in our own backyard? Where is the national urgency, the outpouring of support, the promise of long-term solutions when Indigenous communities are facing conditions that no other Canadian should ever have to endure?

It’s easy to get swept up in the Olympic spirit, to momentarily forget the inequalities that plague our society. The spectacle is designed to distract, to unite us in a shared national pride that conveniently glosses over the uncomfortable truths.

This isn’t about begrudging our athletes their moment in the sun. It’s about demanding a more equitable distribution of resources and a fundamental shift in priorities. It’s about recognizing that true Canadian pride isn’t about winning medals, but about ensuring the well-being of all Canadians, especially those who have been historically marginalized and systematically denied basic necessities.

We need to ask ourselves: what does it say about our nation when we can mobilize expertise to create perfect ice for a game, but not to ensure clean water for an Indigenous community?

This isn’t just a matter of infrastructure; it’s a matter of justice. It’s a matter of honouring our treaty obligations and acknowledging the ongoing legacy of colonialism that continues to disproportionately impact Indigenous peoples.

As we cheer on Team Canada, let’s also commit to holding our government accountable for addressing the systemic issues that leave Indigenous communities vulnerable and forgotten. Let’s demand real action, not just empty promises. Let’s strive for a Canada where every community, regardless of its location or history, has access to the basic necessities of life.

Because true victory isn’t just about winning gold; it’s about building a more just and equitable nation for all. And right now, we are failing. It almost makes you wonder if some dark forces want these people to suffer in order to seize their land and resources for profit. It might sound crazy but considering all the current and historical injustices, nothing would surprise me anymore.