First Nation communities in northern Ont. to have a role when planning evacuations
It's the time of year when people keep an eye on the James Bay coastline, preparing for spring break-up and evacuations.
“So every year around this time we start getting prepared because there is an evacuation every year," said Berny Stansa, chief of the Timmins Fire Department.
"Before it was a matter of if it happens -- now it’s when it happens. We know it’s gonna’ happen … but the players here have done it enough times that they’re very good at it and I’m very confident that things will go well.”
Whether it's flooding or forest fires in places like Peawanuck, one person affected by evacuations said having to relocate from traditional lands to urban settings is stressful.
But she said the way an evacuation is managed can make all the difference.
"They are not refugees, they are not criminals, they are evacuees who have to leave behind like everything," said Tara Sloss, a member of the Peawanuck community and of the Stronger Together team.
"They come with pretty much just what they have on their back ... this needs to be an extension of their home and their community.”
The Timmins Stronger Together Team hosted a planning session this week with Sloss, other First Nation community partners and local leaders.
“We got the health unit, you’ve got police, you’ve got fire, paramedics of course … so it’s a big group effort," said Stansa.
Stronger Together helps build relationships by identifying each partner's strengths so they can be used more effectively during a time of crisis.
"You’ll see a bigger Indigenous voice to the evacuations hosted here in the community and how evacuation sites are being run."
Timmins is one of several municipalities along the Highway 11 corridor that serves as an evacuation host site for First Nation communities requiring assistance.
Officials said the Stronger Together framework is a guide to ensure a holistic experience for all involved during evacuations.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.