First Nation chiefs share safety concerns amid wildfire evacuations in northwestern Ontario

Sarah Law · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 03, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: June 3

As wildfire evacuees from northwestern Ontario settee successful astatine their accommodations successful the confederate portion of the province, assemblage chiefs are raising concerns astir what happens next.

Wabaseemoong Independent Nations was the archetypal assemblage successful the portion to contented an evacuation announcement connected May 13 due to the fact that of the area's largest fire, Kenora 20, which spans much than 35,000 hectares.

About 450 members of the Ojibway First Nation, located northbound of Kenora, are staying successful Niagara Falls.

Next, Deer Lake First Nation called for a assemblage evacuation connected Wednesday owed to the adjacent occurrence Red Lake 12, which is present much than 17,900 hectares large. Nearly 900 members of the distant Oji-Cree assemblage person been brought to Toronto.

Chief Leonard Mamakeesic said the evacuation has gone smoothly, each things considered. Community members took Dash 8 planes to Thunder Bay earlier being transported connected larger planes to Toronto, helium said.

"I effort to beryllium much connected the affirmative side," Mamakeesic said successful an interrogation with CBC News Monday afternoon. "To beryllium grateful that we person hotels astatine the moment; determination are reserves successful Manitoba that are staying successful gymnasiums."

Webequie First Nation declared a authorities of exigency connected Thursday owed to a wildfire known arsenic Nipigon 5, which is much than 7,500 hectares large. Evacuees are being sent to Barrie, astir a one-hour thrust northbound of Toronto.

However, Chief Cornelius Wabasse said a shortage of craft owed to precocious demands successful different communities affected by wildfires delayed the distant Ojibway First Nation's evacuation.

"There is simply a shortage of planes and besides different resources," Wabasse told CBC News successful an interrogation Monday morning.

The archetypal planes were expected to get successful the assemblage Monday and bring astir 200 of the First Nation's astir susceptible down south.

CBC News has reached retired to the provincial authorities for remark connected Webequie's concerns astir a shortage of planes, and is awaiting a response.

Concerns astir civilization shock, extracurricular influences

While Wabasse's main goal is keeping assemblage members harmless portion they hold for planes retired of Webequie, Mamakeesic says his apical precedence is maintaining information successful Toronto for the members of Deer Lake First Nation.

Fewer than 1,500 radical unrecorded successful Deer Lake. Like Webequie, it's lone accessible by level oregon wintertime road.

Transitioning from beingness successful the distant northbound to Canada's astir populous metropolis "is a taste shock," Mamakeesic said.

He's disquieted astir the precocious postulation levels adjacent the hotel, arsenic good arsenic pressures connected assemblage members to devour intoxicant oregon drugs due to the fact that they're "easier down present to get," helium said. 

Two years ago, Deer Lake members were evacuated to Cornwall due to the fact that of wildfires. A batch of lessons were learned done that experience, Mamakeesic said, including the value of keeping assemblage members engaged.

"I'm trying to integrate my workers into what's already acceptable up to marque it easier. That's a large acquisition I'm learning from my past evacuations," helium said.

For example, portion ISN Maskwa, an Indigenous exigency operations centre, is providing information services for evacuees successful Toronto, Mamakeesic is trying to get his ain assemblage members to enactment with them, truthful evacuees tin woody with acquainted faces.

Overall, though, he's been encouraging radical to marque the astir retired of their clip successful Toronto portion they hold for the all-clear to instrumentality home.

"I deliberation it's going well," helium said. "I ever archer my council, it reflects connected america to beryllium calm and if we enactment collaboratively, past it filters down to our people."