Anxious for home

A week after forest fires forced them from their community, many evacuees from Sandy Lake First Nation say they just want to go back home.

Forest fires in the region forced thousands of people from First Nation communities from their homes. Many were transported through Thunder Bay and were flown to other communities. About 250 evacuees stayed in the city and took up temporary lodgings at the Victoria Inn hotel.

Doreen Fiddler said she was able to reunite with her daughter and two grandchildren on Thursday. They were in Sioux Lookout and had to travel to Thunder Bay in order for them to be together. Now that they have reunited, she said she wants to know when she can go home.

“I feel better now that we are together but I’m anxious to get home,” Fiddler said on Monday. “I think we are going to hear plans to return to Sandy Lake today. Hopefully it is good news.”

During the evacuation, Fiddler was forced to leave behind her dog. She said she thought someone was feeding her but she was still concerned for her dog’s well-being.

Douglas Kakegamic said he read in a few newspapers that plans were underway to bring everyone back home but he hasn’t heard anything officially.

“It’s like second-hand information,” Kakegamic said. “That’s not very reliable. I don’t really know much right now. The children aren’t anxious to go back but I am. I have to check things out such as my boat, truck, garage and house.”

Greg Hankkio, the deputy fire chief with Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue, said they are trying to work out how to reunite families and haven’t made a plan yet on how to bring evacuees home but when they do people will be informed as soon as possible.

“We don’t have a definitive timeline on a plan right now,” Hankkio said. “A lot of that will depend on the fire situation and when it is safe for people to return to their homes. A lot of the decisions will be made by the Ministry of Natural Resources.”