Evacuation underway in Kashechewan, Ont., due to spring flooding of Albany River
A precautionary evacuation of about 600 people from Kashechewan First Nation is underway with the first group arriving in Kapuskasing on Friday.
The annual spring flooding of the Albany River has yet to begin, but officials aren’t taking any chances.
“The evacuation certainly is going to happen,” said Joe Tom Sayers, general manager for Missanabe Cree Business Corp.
“We're planning for at least a two-week stay within our normal sites. The river levels are being monitored daily by the community and natural resources. We're getting daily briefings from them as far as the risk of the dike being actually breached or not -- and whether or not, you know, there has to be an additional number of members being evacuated due to more serious risk for.”
Sayers said other locations community members have chosen for this year’s evacuation include Timmins, Smooth Rock Falls, Val-Rita Harty and, for the first time, Kirkland Lake and Barrie. Flights will resume this weekend and on Monday and Tuesday.
“We have made arrangements with the City of Barrie to host the most vulnerable folks with things like dialysis and other types of critical medical needs and of course their family members,” said Sayers.
Closer to home
“We also have other sites where we're sending the remaining folks to across northern Ontario. There's always been a preference for the community to stay as close as possible to their home and within their traditional territory.”
This is the first year that the evacuation is entirely Indigenous-led. Missanabie Cree First Nation and Kashechewan First Nation established the partnership earlier this year. They said this collaboration is the first step towards First Nations managing their own emergencies.
“We're in the process of constructing an 800-room emergency evacuation shelter in the Missanabie Cree First Nation Reserve that should be available for occupancy in the early spring of 2025,” said Sayers.
“So we're about halfway through the construction of that particular facility. It's an investment which means the community of Missanabie and the federal government of about $70 million. So not a lot of small ask, but it's definitely something that's been a long time in coming.”
Sayers said this means this could be the last year for large-scale evacuations from the James Bay Coast, but he said it’s a community’s decision where they ultimately want to go.
He said the shelter can also be used for emergencies other than floods.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Here's what 'the hinge' move is, how to do it correctly
When you're picking something up from the floor or bending over to tie your shoe laces, you're performing "the hinge move," according to movement trainers.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Quebec woman buys lotto ticket from daughter's store, wins $1 million
A woman from Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Que. won $1 million in a Lotto 6/49 draw and she bought the ticket from her daughter's convenience store.