THUNDER BAY - Evacuees from Kashechewan First Nation have begun arriving in Thunder Bay after a state of emergency was declared in the community because of potential flooding.
The first flight from the First Nation situated in James Bay area arrived Saturday afternoon, with several more flights scheduled to arrive throughout the day and evening and Sunday.
“Right now they have three flights scheduled for tomorrow to arrive in Thunder Bay,” said Thunder Bay Fire Rescue deputy chief, Greg Hankkio. “That is the tentative plan. We will have to assess exactly how many guests we have after today. So it will either be two or three flights additional.”
At the request of the province, the city has offered to take in 450 evacuees, with 350 expected to arrive on Saturday. Kapuskasing is also hosting evacuees.
Kashechewan is located on the Albany River, which is prone to flooding in the spring when the ice begins to break up on James Bay.
Hankkio said hosting evacuees from Kashechewan it is a collaborative effort on behalf of several organizations, including the city of Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Health Integration Network, and the Canadian Red Cross.
“Their lives are being disrupted and they are being moved out of their community under some emergency conditions,” he said. “When they arrive in Thunder Bay, it’s their home away from home and we make things as comfortable as we can for them while they are here.”
Hankkio added that it is a difficult and stressful time for the evacuees, but despite the difficulty, they are very friendly and remain positive during their stay in the city.
“It’s a safe place for them to be,” he said. “Genuinely they are happy and friendly people and we are more than pleased to have them here and more than happy to help out.”
There is no word on how long the evacuation may last, but the MNRF is continuing to monitor the ice breakup and water flow in Kashechewan and is providing the city with daily updates.
“Right now this is a precautionary evacuation in anticipation of some flooding there,” Hankkio said. “As far as the timeline goes, we don’t know. But we will take care of them until they are able to go back to their community.”
