OTTAWA — A First Nations group is calling on the federal auditor general to investigate the Canadian Human Rights Commission, arguing its delay in hearing a case about funding for on-reserve fire services is resulting in unnecessary deaths.

On Monday, a house fire in a northwestern Ontario community took the life of Chief Donny Morris’ three-year-old grandson and left two others with serious injuries.

The Independent First Nations Alliance, a group of five First Nations which includes Morris’ own community, filed a Canadian Human Rights Commission complaint in August 2025, alleging Indigenous Services Canada was systemically discriminating against their communities by underfunding on-reserve fire services.

The First Nations say that case has been languishing ever since and they have not received communications from the commission since October.

The Canadian Press has reached out to the Canadian Human Rights Commission for comment.

Chief Clifford Bull of Lac Seul First Nation says Canada continues to ignore their pleas for fire safety funding and accuses the commission of complicity in the discrimination it’s supposed to help remedy.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2026.

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press