Three children dead in Ontario First Nation house fire, chief says
Three children dead in Ontario First Nation house fire, chief says
Three children dead in Ontario First Nation house fire, chief says
The Sandy Lake First Nation logo. (Sandy Lake First Nation website)
Three children from one family died in a house fire in northwestern Ontario Thursday night as firefighters raced against time and unusable hydrants, a First Nation chief said Friday.
Sandy Lake First Nation Chief Delores Kakegamic said the fire began around 11:30 p.m. Thursday.
Firefighters rushed to the home, but by the time they got there the house was engulfed in flames, Kakegamic said.
"A mom was home with her six kids and the dad was at work, but we managed to get three out," said Kakegamic, who went to the home to help Thursday night.
The three children who died in the fire ranged in age from about five to nine years old, she said.
"It's awful," she said, choking up.
Kakegamic said the fire department did what they could.
"None of the fire hydrants were working and we only had one water truck running back and forth as fast as he could," Kakegamic said.
"The water kept freezing. The fire hydrants never work around here."
She said the community is devastated.
"Everybody is still in shock trying to comprehend what just developed last night," Kakegamic said.
"We're asking for strength and prayers."
She said Sandy Lake First Nation, which is 600 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, Ont., and only accessible by plane or winter roads, is expecting help from the province shortly.
Two planes with investigators, relief police officers and two coroners are set to arrive in the remote First Nation later Friday, Kakegamic said
Nishnawbe Aski Police are investigating the fire and said Ontario Provincial Police's identification unit is helping.
Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal said they are sending in three people to investigate the origin, cause and circumstance of the fire.
Kakegamic said the firefighters had no masks, just those used to protect against COVID-19.
"They all suffered smoke inhalation along with about four councillors who were on hand helping, going through the rubble trying to find the babies," she said.
The firefighters and councillors were all treated and were at home resting, she said.
"I commend our firefighters doing all they could running back and forth with no masks," Kakegamic said
Deputy Grand Chief Bobby Narcisse of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents 49 First Nations in northern Ontario, said they are in touch with Sandy Lake's leadership and will offer help in any way.
"This tragedy comes as a tremendous shock, and words cannot express the grief that we share with the family and community," Narcisse said in a statement.
He thanked first responders and other members of the community who helped while temperatures hit a low of -31 C early Friday morning.
"This tragedy comes at a very challenging time," Narcisse said. "We encourage everyone to join the community in prayer and find ways to comfort one another as we grieve this terrible loss."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2022.
Hospitals overwhelmed by the pandemic’s onslaught are still facing a number of challenges, causing unprecedented wait times in emergency rooms across the country.
CTVNews.ca asked Canadians to share their travel horror stories as cancelled flights, delays and lost luggage throw a wrench in Canadians' summer travel plans, due in part to staffing shortages at Canadian airports. Some report sleeping at airports and others say it took days to get to or from a destination.
Twin brothers in their early 20s were responsible for the shooting that injured numerous police officers at a bank in Saanich, B.C., earlier this week, RCMP alleged Saturday.
Researchers in British Columbia say the province's endangered southern resident orcas have not been getting enough food for years, with some of the worst bouts of hunger occurring since 2018.
It's been said no one's success is complete without failure, but a new international exhibit in Calgary is proving that even some of the most talented innovators had some of the worst ideas for consumers.
Animal rescue groups are criticizing a new policy by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that will ban the import of dogs from more than 100 countries.
The Canada Day long weekend saw gas prices plummet in parts of the country, but the relief at the pumps may not stay for very long, analysts say. The decreases come after crude oil prices slid in June following the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes, sparking fears of a recession.
A law outlawing any dealings with the Taliban, which charities complain is impeding their ability to help needy Afghans, could be adjusted by the federal government to give more flexibility to aid agencies.
Families across the country tell W5 they were falsely accused of child abuse after bringing their sick or injured child to the hospital. Some parents are calling for mandatory medical second opinions when it comes to cases flagged in hospitals.
Former Deputy Leader of the Conservatives Lisa Raitt shares the pain behind her husband's devastating diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's and the story of their enduring love, in a candid and revealing interview with CTV W5.
W5 investigates disturbing allegations against a pediatric dentist in Nova Scotia whose treatment of children over five decades is now an alleged crime.
CTV W5's latest investigation: For a year, Dr. Brooks Fallis ran the Critical Care unit at a Brampton Hospital. He openly criticized Premier Ford’s COVID-19 response and was warned by his bosses there could be consequences.
For the past two years, a number of doctors across Canada have advocated for their patients and questioned the role of politics in the handling of COVID-19. To explore the issues, W5 convened a group of seven physicians from across the country.
An Ontario man shares his horrifying story of murder as W5 investigates the widespread under-reporting of serious side-effects from prescription drugs.
As unclaimed luggage continue to pile up at Pearson International Airport, one local resident has been looking for his bags for 16 days after arriving in Toronto.
Ontario is not yet allowing most adults under the age of 60 to get a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot, prompting one doctor to prepare legal action to get the province to widen eligibility.
The pedestrian who was struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver in downtown Toronto on Canada Day has been identified by his family, remembering him as someone with a great sense of humour and a “huge heart.”
One by one, mourners lined up patiently to lay flowers at the home of 50-year-old Anne-Marie Ready and 15-year-old Jasmine Ready, the Ottawa mother and daughter killed in Alta Vista last week.
Mayor Jim Watson says the city of Ottawa and Ottawa police were better prepared and had more resources to police the capital for the Canada Day long weekend, as a sense of normalcy returned to downtown Ottawa and the Parliamentary Precinct after Canada's 155th birthday.
A man is facing charges after he set off fireworks early Saturday morning in Waterloo. "He was holding the fireworks in his hand and then projecting them at businesses and pedestrians," said police.
Heavy smoke and loud explosions woke up a number of residents in a high-rise apartment Saturday morning on Capulet Lane in London, Ont. when a fire broke out in the parking garage next to their building.
Ontario is not yet allowing most adults under the age of 60 to get a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot, prompting one doctor to prepare legal action to get the province to widen eligibility.
A jury tasked with making recommendations following the death of a 30-year-old inmate inside Windsor's South West Detention Centre says Ontario jails should no longer consider access to phone calls to be a privilege.
One person is deceased and another was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries following a collision between a pickup truck and a motorcycle in Leamington on Canada Day.
The number of Quebec households without a roof over their heads after July 1 moving day is currently 600. That number "could continue to rise in the coming days," warned Véronique Laflamme, spokesperson for the Quebec housing advocacy group - FRAPRU, at a news conference in Montreal on Saturday.
A 50-year-old New Brunswick woman is facing an impaired driving charge following a head-on collision with a fully marked RCMP vehicle in the village of Tracadie.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has indicated his United Conservative government will reveal details next week about additional support to help people deal with high inflation.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has indicated his United Conservative government will reveal details next week about additional support to help people deal with high inflation.
A 13-year-old girl from Edmonton who had been missing for more than a week was safely located in Oregon, where a man, 41, is in police custody and facing charges.
Mounties on Vancouver Island have publicly identified the two gunmen killed during a shootout with police at a bank in Saanich on Tuesday as 22-year-old twin brothers Mathew and Isaac Auchterlonie.
The provincial housing agency is keeping tight-lipped in the wake of troubling questions around whether some of the most vulnerable people in British Columbia are unauthorized to use cooling systems already installed in their homes.
Some animal rescue groups fear countless dogs will die of starvation or be killed if they are not allowed entry into Canada as a result of a recently announced policy.
An Instagram account belonging to one of the two gunmen killed in a shootout at a bank in Saanich, B.C., this week paints a picture of a young man who believed gun ownership was a necessary response to government "tyranny."
A law outlawing any dealings with the Taliban, which charities complain is impeding their ability to help needy Afghans, could be adjusted by the federal government to give more flexibility to aid agencies.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling on Canadians to recommit to the country’s values, including respect, hope and kindness, in his official Canada Day message.
Living with HIV may have an immediate effect on how your body ages, according to new research which showed that cellular aging was sped up within two to three years of infection.
Medication abortions became the preferred method for ending pregnancy in the U.S. even before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. These involve taking two prescription medicines days apart -- at home or in a clinic.
A California man has posted a widely-shared video in an attempt to educate people about the monkeypox virus outbreak, to encourage people to get vaccinated if they're eligible and to make it very clear: 'You do not want this.'
Researchers in British Columbia say the province's endangered southern resident orcas have not been getting enough food for years, with some of the worst bouts of hunger occurring since 2018.
Scientists are hopeful that the key to reviving red wolves, which are on the brink of extinction, may lie in the genes of coyotes that have significant red wolf ancestry.
Google will automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics or other places that could trigger legal problems now that the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the door for states to ban the termination of pregnancies.
A 35-year-old New York man is facing trespassing and stalking charges after authorities said he entered two New York City residences linked to the famed singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.
Lindsay Lohan has announced she is married. The actress, 36, who celebrated her birthday Saturday, posted a photo with Bader Shammas, a financier, calling him her husband.
Newlyweds Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian are reflecting on 'a scary and emotional week.' The pair posted on their verified social media accounts about Barker's recent hospitalization for pancreatitis.
Airlines worked Saturday to deliver luggage to passengers around the world after a technical breakdown left at least 1,500 bags stuck at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport, the latest of several tangles hitting travellers this summer.
The Canada Day long weekend saw gas prices plummet in parts of the country, but the relief at the pumps may not stay for very long, analysts say. The decreases come after crude oil prices slid in June following the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes, sparking fears of a recession.
An Ontario high school teacher plans to continue with an alternative method of grading her students after an experiment last semester in which students proposed a grade and had to justify it with examples of their work.
Dutch rider Fabio Jakobsen overtook Wout van Aert right on the line to win the second stage of the Tour de France while Van Aert took the yellow jersey on Saturday.
American basketball star Brittney Griner went on trial Friday, 4 1/2 months after her arrest on charges of possessing cannabis oil while returning to play for a Russian team, in a case that has unfolded amid tense relations between Moscow and Washington.
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek was unbeaten since February and sure seemed unbeatable, compiling 37 consecutive match wins and six consecutive tournament titles. But a mistake-filled Saturday sent Swiatek out of Wimbledon in the third round with a 6-4, 6-2 loss to 37th-ranked Alize Cornet of France.
A Vancouver Island real estate agent has lost his bid to recover a deposit he made on a new Ford Mustang that he intended to offer as a prize in a year-long contest in 2020.
Tesla's sales from April through June fell to their lowest quarterly level since last fall as supply chain issues and pandemic restrictions in China hobbled production of its electric vehicles.
It took 151 attempts for Carlos Sainz to earn his first Formula One pole. Now he'll chase that elusive first win. But starting alongside Sainz on the front row Sunday at the British Grand Prix will be defending F1 champion Max Verstappen, a year removed from the crash with Lewis Hamilton that turned their title fight into a bitter rivalry.
The Sandy Lake First Nation logo. (Sandy Lake First Nation website)
