Support Grows for Neskantaga as Evacuation Continues

It’s been almost eight weeks since the most vulnerable members of Neskantaga First Nation were relocated to a hotel in Toronto, yet repair work has just started on the damaged nursing station that led to the evacuation of this remote community in northern Ontario.

This situation has left Chief Gary Quisses worried that many residents may not return home before winter sets in.

“The timeline is probably going to change because of the weather. I know it’s getting cold up there,” Quisses told , noting it could take a month or longer before the nursing station reopens.

The isolated Ojibway community, located about 440 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, Ont., declared a state of emergency on August 4 after a sewage leak at its nursing station, which is the only health-care facility serving the First Nation.

Out of nearly 400 residents, more than 250 were evacuated to Toronto, where they remain.

A bed is seen at Neskantaga First Nation’s temporary nursing station in this Aug. 10 photo. (Nishnawbe Aski Nation/Facebook)

This marks the second time that issues with the health-care facility have forced an evacuation. Last year, community members were displaced for three months due to flooding and fuel odors within the building.

The temporary nursing station set up in Neskantaga has also encountered problems; a space heater caused a small fire there recently. The facility lacks privacy and can only provide basic care like pain relief and bandages, according to Quisses.

“The health system is failing,” he said.

NAN chiefs urge provincial and federal assistance

Neskantaga is part of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), which represents 49 First Nations across treaties 9 and 5. At NAN’s annual Keewaywin Conference this week, former chief Wayne Moonias asked regional chiefs for their support.

Evacuees miss eating traditional foods and being out on their land, he mentioned.

Wayne Moonias of Neskantaga First Nation is seen on the water in this 2023 file photo. He says evacuees miss being out on the land while staying in Toronto. (Marc Doucette/CBC)

“There’s a portable school set up at a hotel. Those are the kind of things that we’re facing,” Moonias said.

“This cannot be a norm where people are evacuated every time an infrastructure unit goes down.”

NAN chiefs voted unanimously to call upon Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) for urgent action regarding Neskantaga, including emergency funding for both a new nursing station and a temporary community-approved facility.

They also requested that both provincial and federal governments establish a dedicated working group until Neskantaga’s state of emergency ends to address outstanding needs and develop an adequately funded plan approved by First Nations representatives.

Neskantaga First Nation’s nursing station, seen in this photo from Aug. 27. A sewage spill at the facility prompted a state of emergency to be declared on Aug. 4. (Neskantaga First Nation/Facebook)

The Ontario government’s role is limited to providing evacuation support; issues related to infrastructure fall under federal jurisdiction.

An ISC spokesperson stated that repairs at Neskantaga’s nursing station are being led by them with hopes they’ll be finished by early October, as reported in an email sent Friday to .

“Three ISC nurses are providing urgent and emergency medical services for those who remain in [the] community. Ornge services are also available should any med-evacs from the community be required,” wrote Maryéva Métellus.

“Wraparound services for health, safety and wellness are being provided” for evacuees, she added.

“ISC is working with health partners to support evacuees,” she noted.




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Cultural adjustment in Canada’s biggest city

The challenges faced by Neskantaga are made worse by its ongoing boil water advisory that’s been active for over three decades-the longest such advisory recorded in Canada’s history.

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Neskantaga gets assistance from Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA), which serves thirty-three communities across northwestern Ontario-twenty-eight of which are remote.

.Janet Gordon is vice president of community health for Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA). She says remote First Nations often lack adequate spaces for health-care professionals to work and stay in.(Submitted by SLFNHA)

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Janet Gordon from SLFNHA highlighted how infrastructure shortcomings often hinder healthcare delivery in fly-in communities.

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“Lack of space, workspace and lack of accommodation,” Gordon explained.” The services have expanded but infrastructure hasn’t kept pace with those needs.”

Evens though nurses are present with evacuees from Neskantaga while they’re staying in Toronto, Gordon emphasized how important it is not ignore mental health impacts tied into long-term displacement-as well as culture shock when moving from their remote environment into Canada’s largest urban center.

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“There’s lots of stress that comes with that-and just being somewhere that doesn’t feel like home or safe,” she stated.

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At same time , Quisses shared he’s receiving daily inquiries from fellow residents looking for updates concerning when they might return home. P

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