THUNDER BAY, KASHECHEWAN – Over the past twelve hours, a total of fifty four people were evacuated from Kashechewan First Nation and are currently in Kapuskasing. The evacuation was done by plane because of potential flooding risk as the Albany River continues to pose a threat to the community. Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) and the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) have been working with federal, municipal and First Nations partners to organize the evacuation.
The First Nations of Kashechewan and Fort Albany have declared a state of emergency and decided to undertake the evacuation of some of their most vulnerable residents. This includes the elderly, women, children and people with medical conditions.
This morning, the plan in the community is to survey the river by air and see what the conditions on the ground are that could impact the community. “We want to determine in how far its broken east of the community towards the bay,” according to a report to the community. Weather is a factor however as cloud cover is impacting air.
Cooler temperatures in the region are expected which should slow melting.