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Yolanda Sakanee says she wants to go home, but there’s too much uncertainty in her First Nation, which declared a state of emergency last week due to northwestern Ontario’s wildfires.
Sakanee is one of more than 130 evacuees from Neskantaga First Nation, a remote Ojibway community about 440 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.
Its chief and council declared a state of emergency on July 16. Evacuees — families with children, older adults and people with underlying health conditions — were first sent to Thunder Bay before flying further south to Toronto. They’re now staying in Mississauga.
“There [were] no rooms in Thunder Bay for everybody and we all like to be in one place,” Sakanee told CBC News on Tuesday.
More than 2,800 wildfire evacuees are staying in host communities throughout the province.
First Nations have been most affected by evacuations. As well as the safety concerns due to the wildfires, leaders say, they’re facing mental health and other challenges.
A group of First Nations leaders are calling for a public inquiry into Ontario’s handling of this year’s wildfires, where people were forced to evacuate remote communities after being cut off from essential supplies like water, fuel and food.
Sakanee said the intensity of wildfire smoke in Neskantaga gave her children nosebleeds and breathing problems.
Disruptions in the community’s supply chain meant one of her daughters didn’t have access to the right baby formula and went two days without it.
Ryan Moonias, a Neskantaga member who’s staying in Mississauga with his pregnant wife and their children, explained that the community’s food is transported from Winnipeg to Pickle Lake before being flown up to the First Nation.
However, a road closure on Highway 599 last week that was prompted by wildfires meant the delivery trucks were rerouted to Red Lake. After that, the smoke became too heavy for planes to travel north with supplies.
“One flight did make it in with half a load,” Moonias said. “The pilot said they barely landed, and [the smoke] was so thick and it was dangerous.”
Ontario, Ottawa respond to concerns
A spokesperson for Ontario’s minister of emergency preparedness and response said in a statement to CBC News that the province is in “constant contact with First Nations” this wildfire season.
“Any community can request assistance from the province to evacuate. In circumstances where the fire is moving too quickly, communities may make the choice to self-evacuated,” wrote spokesperson Julia Facca in an email.
“Once evacuated, our government, in collaboration with Indigenous Services Canada, ensures communities have wrap-around support available including accommodation, food and health services.”
A spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) noted that emergency management in First Nations is a shared responsibility across all levels of government, including First Nation leaders.
“When a First Nation community is evacuated, eligible costs related to a wildfire response are covered through ISC’s Emergency Management Assistance Program (EMAP) and can include accommodations, transportation, clothing, and security protection costs, as well as medical and mental wellness supports, emergency social supports and practices that support cultural continuity,” wrote ISC spokesperson Eric Head in an email.
Eabametoong First Nation offering supports
Many First Nations in the northwest are dry communities, which means they don’t allow alcohol or drugs. This includes Eabametoong First Nation (EFN), which has sent more than 940 of its members to Niagara Falls.
The community is urging people to avoid consuming substances while away from home.
“EFN staff on site in Niagara Falls will be implementing programming to assist and support members who are having issues following our policies and receiving EFN support,” said a statement from the chief and council on Tuesday.
With alcohol and drugs more readily available in host communities than in the north, “that’s a worry for community members, for their family,” says Janet Gordon, vice-president of community health for the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA), which represents 33 First Nations in the region.
Evacuees urged to reach out for support
Evacuees are already dealing with a lot of stressors, such as staying in cramped hotel rooms and navigating unfamiliar places.
Many elders face language barriers and aren’t used to eating non-traditional meals, Gordon explained.
As far as keeping busy, many evacuees may not be able to afford to eat at restaurants or visit local attractions, she added.
Racism from local residents has also been reported, Gordon said.
“It is something that the leadership and the communities are very worried about for their families and for their friends as well.”
This all comes with the looming uncertainty of what’s happening back home.
It’s important for people to reach out to community leaders and liaisons for mental health support during this time, Gordon said.
“I think the host communities need to also be part of supporting people that are evacuated to their communities and identifying certain different organizations that might be able to do some activities or support.”
The Hope for Wellness Helpline provides immediate, toll-free telephone and online chat-based emotional support and crisis intervention to all Indigenous people in Canada. This service is available 24/7 in English and French, and upon request in Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut.
