First Nation chiefs in northern Ontario rally around Neskantaga amid ongoing evacuation
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chiefs → rally → evacuation
More than 250 of community's most vulnerable have been in Toronto since early August
It’s been nearly eight weeks since Neskantaga First Nation’s most vulnerable members were sent to a hotel in Toronto, but remediation work has only just begun on the damaged nursing station that forced the evacuation of the isolated northern Ontario community.
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that → send → community
That's left Neskantaga’s chief Gary Quisses fearful that many of his people won't get home before the snow falls.
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snow → leave → people
“The timeline is probably going to change because of the weather.
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timeline → go → weather
I know it's getting cold up there,” Quisses told CBC News, saying it could be a month or more before the nursing station reopens.
uncertain
station → know → News
The remote Ojibway community, some 440 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, Ont., declared a state of emergency on Aug. 4 following a sewage spill at its nursing station, the only health-care facility in the First Nation.
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community → declare → Nation
From a community of fewer than 400, more than 250 people were evacuated to Toronto, where they remain.
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they → evacuate → Toronto
This is the second time problems at the health-care facility prompted an evacuation.
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problems → prompt → evacuation
Last year, community members were displaced for three months over a flood and smell of fuel in the building.
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members → displace → building
Problems have also plagued a temporary nursing station set up in the community.
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Problems → plague → community
A space heater caused a small fire in the health-care facility a few weeks ago.
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heater → cause → facility
The space lacks privacy and can only provide basic care such as painkillers and bandages, according to Quisses.
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space → lack → Quisses
“The health system is failing,” he said.
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he → fail → ?
NAN chiefs call on province, feds for support
Neskantaga is part of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), a political-territorial organization that represents 49 First Nations across treaties 9 and 5.
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that → call → treaties
During NAN’s annual Keewaywin Conference this week, Neskantaga’s former chief Wayne Moonias appealed to the region’s chiefs for support.
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chief → appeal → support
Evacuees miss eating traditional food and being out on the land, he said.
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he → miss → land
Those are the kind of things that we're facing,” Moonias said.
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Moonias → face → that
“This cannot be a norm where people are evacuated every time an infrastructure unit goes down.”
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unit → evacuate → ?
NAN chiefs voted in favour of calling on Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) to take urgent action to support Neskantaga, including emergency funding for a new nursing station and a temporary community-approved facility.
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chiefs → vote → station
They also want the provincial and federal governments to appoint a specifically mandated working group until Neskantaga’s state of emergency is lifted to resolve the situation, address the community’s outstanding demands, and prepare a financially resourced and First Nations-approved plan.
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state → want → plan
The Ontario government is only responsible for providing evacuation support; infrastructure issues fall to the federal government.
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issues → provide → government
A spokesperson for ISC says Neskantaga is leading repairs at its nursing station, which are hoped to be completed in early October, they told CBC News in an email on Friday.
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they → say → Friday
“Three ISC nurses are providing urgent and emergency medical services for those who remain in [the] community.
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who → provide → community
Ornge services are also available should any med-evacs from the community be required,” wrote Maryéva Métellus.
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Métellus → require → community
Neskantaga First Nation's lack of health-care infrastructure forces evacuation of dozens to Toronto
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lack → force → Toronto
Amid 2nd evacuation this summer, Neskantaga First Nation calls on Ontario, feds to act
“Wraparound services for health, safety and wellness are being provided" for evacuees, she said.
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she → call → evacuees
ISC is working with health partners to support evacuees, she said.
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she → work → evacuees
Culture shock in Canada’s largest city
The issues Neskantaga is facing are compounded by the fact that it’s been under a boil water advisory for 31 years, the longest in effect in Canada’s history.
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it → face → history
Neskantaga receives support from the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA).
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Neskantaga → receive → Authority
It serves 33 communities in northwestern Ontario, 28 of which are remote.
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28 → serve → which
SLFNHA’s vice president of community health, Janet Gordon, said infrastructure deficits in fly-in First Nations often prevent health-care services from being delivered.
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president → say → services
“Lack of space, workspace and lack of accommodation,” Gordon said.
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Gordon → say → accommodation
“The services have expanded but the infrastructure has not been able to keep up with the needs of those services.”
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infrastructure → expand → services
While nurses are on-site with Neskantaga evacuees in Toronto, Gordon said it’s important to recognize the mental health effects that come with being displaced for so long — as well as the culture shock of relocating from a remote community to Canada’s largest city.
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that → say → city
Sewage leak forces another evacuation of Neskantaga First Nation
Neskantaga First Nation calls on province to communicate better amid wildfire emergency
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Nation → force → emergency
“There's lots of stress that comes with that and just being in an environment that doesn't feel like home, doesn't feel safe,” she said.
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she → be → home
Meanwhile, Quisses said he’s fielding questions from community members every day seeking updates about the nursing station.
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he → say → station
“Everybody's pretty much on the same page asking, ‘When are we going to go home?
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we → ask → page
Are we going to be here for Christmas?’”
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we → go → Christmas
The Aporia
