Evacuees from Kashechewan who fled to Thunder Bay to escape flooding in their home community could be allowed to return home soon.
In a news release issued by the City of Thunder Bay Wednesday afternoon, officials confirm First Nation community has begun planning the process for bringing evacuted residents home.
Nearly 150 residents of the remote fly-in community, which is situated along the James Bay Coast in Northeastern Ontario, were brought to Thunder Bay Sunday after flood waters struck that area.
While no specific date or time was provided, it is expected that evacuees will start heading to Kashechewan in the next few days.
The Emergency Operations Control Group is awaiting flight plans from Emergency Management Ontario.
Deputy Fire Chief Greg Hankkio said they are in the middle of the planning process in order to send the evacuees home. He suspected that late in the week the city will be asked to make arrangements to send people back to Kashechewan.
Greenstone is expected to start sending the first wave of evacuees home followed by possibly Cornwall then Thunder Bay.
Hankkio said that plan depends on weather and if there’s enough aircraft available.
Although Kashechewan residents prepare to leave home, the city could play host to other flood evacuees.
“Right now we’re dealing with people from Kashechewan,” he said.
“There are other communities that are at risk. We’re monitoring the floods and rivers in the entire area. Just because the people of Kashechewan are going back home sometime over the next few days doesn’t mean the probability of additional flooding in the area doesn’t exist. That’s the indication we made to Emergency Management Ontario that we’re able to accept up to 300 more stage one evacuees if requested.”
Hankkio added for the most part the evacuation process went well because of the coordinated effort by all the parties involved.
