No end in sight for Neskantaga First Nation evacuees as nursing station repairs continue

Sarah Law · CBC News

· Posted: May 08, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Three weeks aft evacuees archetypal landed successful Thunder Bay, Ont., from Neskantaga First Nation, Chief Gary Quisses says there's nary wide timeline for erstwhile assemblage members tin instrumentality home.

The evacuation was prompted by flooding and a odor of substance astatine the distant community's lone nursing station. A authorities of exigency has been successful effect since April 13. As of this week, 176 evacuees and their indoor pets stay successful the northwestern Ontario city.

On Tuesday, assemblage leaders met with representatives from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and different stakeholders successful Neskantaga to sermon adjacent steps arsenic the First Nation looks to repatriate its members.

"The vexation is increasing large successful the assemblage and present successful the city," said Quisses successful an interrogation with CBC News Wednesday.

"The question is truthful slow. If it was an municipality area, it would astir apt beryllium quick, but for america it's ever a treble standard. We person to hold to get our issues addressed."

Initially, assemblage nurses were utilizing an 8-by-10-foot country for constricted wellness assessments aft the nursing presumption was closed. Since then, a larger, impermanent nursing presumption has been acceptable up successful a location successful the community.

However, Quisses said the abstraction isn't afloat functional yet and inactive needs telephone and fax connections acceptable up.

Fewer than 400 radical unrecorded successful the distant Ojibway community, which is astir 450 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay. Neskantaga is known for being nether Canada's longest-standing boil-water advisory, which has been successful spot for 30 years. 

A spokesperson for ISC told CBC News successful an email Tuesday that remediation enactment astatine the Rachael Bessie Sakanee Memorial Health Centre — the community's imperishable nursing presumption — began April 22.

"Initial probe indicates that the flood and substance odor were apt a effect of a failed sump pump and utilized substance spill kit that was being stored successful the basement," said ISC spokesperson Jacinthe Goulet.

While aerial prime investigating and occupational wellness and information inspections, completed by Matawa First Nations Management, person deemed the gathering to beryllium safe, the assemblage has requested further assessments earlier reopening the nursing station.

"ISC is moving precise intimately with Matawa and assemblage enactment to guarantee each the indispensable enactment is completed to re-open the Rachael Bessie Sakanee Memorial Health Centre arsenic soon arsenic possible," Goulet said.

Supporting evacuees connected the ground

Emergency workers successful Thunder Bay person ample acquisition facilitating assemblage evacuations. Robert Wark, exigency absorption co-ordinator astatine Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, said the absorption is keeping evacuees comfy portion they're staying successful 1 of the city's hotels.

"Make definite that everybody's got their shelter, they've got food, they've got immoderate activities to support them positive, and past conscionable effort to support each of the accusation flowing from the assemblage and the individuals backmost location astir what's happening successful the community," Wark said.

While evacuees are successful town, Matawa First Nations Management has been trying to conscionable arsenic galore of their health-care needs arsenic they can, helium added.

"Some different things that they whitethorn not beryllium capable to get arsenic easy successful their community, specified arsenic dental visits and worldly that they often would question for, we'll effort to get them done portion they're present if possible," helium said. 

Meanwhile, Quisses said he's acrophobic astir the interaction of the evacuation connected the youngest members of his assemblage and however it's disrupted their education.

"Our boil h2o advisory is 30 years [old], that's been truly impacting our membership. Now it's our health," Quisses said.

"There is simply a batch of trauma going astir successful our community."