Kashechewan flooding reaches emergency levels

Officials managing the evacuation of Kashechewan residents due to spring flooding on the Albany River say the situation is now an emergency.

They say breach of the berm looks imminent, meaning another 700 people will need to be relocated.

An evacuation is also underway in Fort Albany.

The measures are necessary because the spring breakup on the north channel of the Albany River in Kashechewan First Nation has reached a concerning level.

“What’s occurring in the last 24 hours is an actual evacuation and therefore, you know, it’s all hands-on deck between all of the agencies,” said Joe Tom Sayers of ISN Maskwa Inc.

Sayers said the anticipated breach of the berms looks imminent to those who monitor the Albany River.

“There’s already there’s some flooding that is preventing Kashechewan members from accessing the airport,” he said.

Began Easter weekend

“The alternative plan is to have people be moved by helicopter to Fort Albany … to access planes.”

The evacuation of medically vulnerable residents began on the Easter weekend. Around 530 people were flown to host sites in northern and southern Ontario.

Sayers said another 700 people will be evacuated and around 500 people have moved to their hunting grounds.

They, too, will be evacuated if necessary.

Cochrane Mayor Peter Politis said his community is in the process of welcoming around 250 people from Fort Albany, a community, south of Kashechewan on the other side of the river.

“Our staff have been doing this for such a long time, and they’re very, very good and a very good reputation at recognizing the need to make this as comfortable as possible for folks,” Politis said.

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“What we’ve done different this year is we’re now hooked up with the Apitisawin Centre, which is the local First Nation owned centre that now is going to provide … a better cultural dynamic for the folks coming from the coast to here, as opposed to going to the Tim Horton event centre, which is a nice place, but wouldn’t have the same dynamics that maybe, you know, the Apitisawin Centre would have.”

Emergency Management Ontario is handling that evacuation. Officials said the evacuation will last as long as necessary and will all depend on the weather and how it impacts the level of the Albany River.