Niagara Falls helps hundreds of people evacuated from Kashechewan water crisis resettle in Ontario city

Hundreds of evacuees from the Kashechewan First Nation have arrived in Niagara Falls, one of the Ontario cities taking in people from the Cree community as it grapples with a crisis. week long water crisis Due to damaged treatment plant.

As many as 1,700 people are expected to be evacuated from the city of Niagara Region alone, with officials and local indigenous groups doing everything they can to help those displaced feel at home.

As of Friday, at least 600 people had come to Niagara Falls, with more expected later in the day despite some weather delays, city Fire Chief Joe Zambito said.

After flying to Hamilton on Wednesday and Thursday, those who arrived were transferred by bus to Niagara Falls, he said.

Most of the evacuees will remain in Niagara Falls, while others are set to resettle in communities including Timmins, Kapuskasing and Kingston.

Robert Garland is vice president of risk mitigation company Expera, which is coordinating the evacuation of the community of about 2,300 residents. Albany is situated on the north bank of the river.

Garland was helping move Kashechewan residents arriving in Niagara Falls to three hotels.

Although the city is a major tourist destination, he said welcoming the anticipated 1,700 evacuees has posed no problems.

“This time of year…tourism influx is low,” said Garland, who has helped evacuees at three hotels in the city. “Capacity has not been an issue here.”

Zambito also talked about how Niagara Falls is happy to help in times of need.

“The city of Niagara Falls is no stranger to hosting evacuations,” he said. “We have enough space to become a host community if needed.”

Efforts are being made to reduce cultural shock

During last year’s Northern Ontario wildfires, Niagara Falls evacuated about 3,000 people from First Nations in northern Manitoba and Ontario. Many people staying in hotels said they are not used to the experiences of urban life This gave him a cultural shock.

However, to help those evicted from Kashechewan stay in Niagara Falls, Garland and Zambito coordinated with local indigenous groups, including the Fort Erie Friendship Native Center, to meet their needs.

Melissa Shongo, a program manager at the center, said they are working to arrange drum circles, haircuts and manicures for evacuees, and to provide them with traditional medicines such as sage, sweetgrass and tobacco if needed.

Shongo said the center also plans to open its kitchen so people can cook traditional home-cooked dishes, as hotels would not have the space to do so.

How others can help people who have been laid off

A state of emergency was declared in Kashechewan on January 4 by First Nation Chief Jose Wesley.

In early December, the pumps at the community’s water treatment plant were found clogged, unable to mix the chemicals needed to treat drinking water.

Tyson Wesley, executive director of the Kashechewan First Nation, said there has been a gastrointestinal outbreak in the community. Tap water is no longer being piped into people’s homes, with residents who remain there getting it from sources such as bottled water.

As CBC Sudbury’s Jonathan Migneault reported during his visit to Kashechewan, some people are even collecting snow and melting it for use in their homes.

Northern Waterworks technicians repaired the damage to the plant and turned water back on. But they were waiting for test results from a laboratory in North Bay for health officials to determine whether the water is safe to drink.

Garland said the Niagara Falls community is “always on top” of helping others in times of crisis.

For anyone interested in helping Kashechewan community members in Niagara Falls Fort Erie Friendship Native Center Is accepting donations like clothes.