PIKANGIKUM FIRST NATION – Ontario Provincial Police have returned to Pikangikum First Nation, more than a month after the community expelled its officers over allegations of serious misconduct.
The return comes with conditions requiring OPP officers to work alongside the Pikangikum Peacekeepers, a volunteer group formed by the community in the absence of a formal policing service.
The agreement with the OPP will also ensure reliable nursing service in the community of roughly 3,800, said Pikangikum Chief Dean Owen.
Nurses with Indigenous Services Canada departed the community for a second time earlier this week over the lack of policing services, according to Kenora MP Eric Melillo.
The Kenora MP had called on the federal government to mobilize RCMP resources during the crisis, saying Owen was open to the solution.
ISC first flew its nurses out of the community on March 11, the day after all 10 OPP officers posted in Pikangikum were expelled from the First Nation, located roughly 200 kilometres north of Kenora.
The federal department continued flying nurses out of Pikangikum each evening over safety concerns, leaving it without overnight medical service.
The Independent First Nations Alliance worked with the First Nation to fill the overnight nursing void with temporary support during that time.
ISC agreed to allow nurses to return to overnight duty around April 10. It’s unclear what prompted the second departure of nurses earlier this week. TBNewswatch has reached out to Indigenous Services Canada for comment.
“While we understand the government’s concern for the safety of their nurses, we have trouble understanding their safety versus the safety of 3,800 in-community members,” Owen said in a statement.
The incident had exposed gaps in service in the First Nation that don’t exist in municipalities, even those with smaller populations, he said.
Talks between the First Nation and the OPP began on Tuesday, Owen said, with officers vetted by chief and council returning to the community Wednesday.
As well as working with the Pikangikum Peacekeepers, the OPP will also provide training to help the community achieve its short-term goal of developing auxiliary constables and establishing a stand-alone Pikangikum Police Service, Owen said.
“Having our own police force has been Pikangikum’s objective from day one,” he said. “This incident has reaffirmed our resolve to build off the hard work and perseverance of the Pikangikum Peacekeepers and Security Force that had to fill in during the crisis. It is clear to us that the well-being and safety of our 3,800 community members must be community-driven.”
