Hundreds of people are being flown out of Kashechewan after the northern Ontario community declared a state of emergency over flooding concerns.
The beleaguered northern community, located near James Bay, has been subject to evacuations in the past, due to flooding and other mould issues.
With precautionary evacuations underway, approximately 450 people are being flown to Kapuskasing on Friday.
Kapuskasing Mayor Alan Spacek told CTV News Channel that the community is now expecting its second planeload of evacuees.
“Our understanding is, these planes will come every 30 to 40 minutes till about nine o’clock this evening,” Spacek said, adding the first evacuees are elderly and young people.
Spacek said the town is prepared for the large influx of newcomers. “We’ve been doing this for a number of years so we’re well-organized, we have great support from our volunteers and the Red Cross.”
Other residents who moved from Kashechewan to Kapuskasing in the past have “settled in quite well,” Spacek said.
First Nations leaders declared a public health emergency in Kashechewan earlier this year, after a number of children on the reserve suffered serious skin infections.
