As of Tuesday, almost 700 of the 2,200 residents of Kathechewan First Nation have been evacuated with more expected in the coming week, as leadership of the beleaguered northern Ontario community works to fix all the issues. “No timeline right now,” said executive director Tyson Wesley. “Right now, it’s just assessing and also doing the repairs and making sure the teams coming in have the proper resources.” It’s been 10 days since Kashechewan first declared its state of emergency due to its failing water system. In that time, 668 residents were evacuated to Timmins, Kapuskasing, Kingston and Niagara Falls. Wesley told CTV News that the water treatment plant is being worked on currently. “We have divers coming in to check out the intake pipes and also defrosting the fire hydrants in the coming weeks,” he said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done.” Water is flowing from taps throughout the community; however, Wesley says it’s heavily chlorinated and the ‘Do Not Consume’ order remains in place. But along with the water infrastructure problems, Wesley said some residents are sick with a gastrointestinal illness. “There is no correlation right now, no real evidence to tie the water to all of these issues. But we are asking Public Health to make sure that the people that are experiencing gastro issues be tested to confirm whether or not it is bacteria from the water,” he said. “We’re just doing that as a precaution,” Wesley added, reiterating that their in-house tests did not find E. coli, but shipments of tests were being sent out on Tuesday. “We want to make sure these illnesses are not water related but we don’t really know but we are asking for those tests to be done to be on the safe side,” he said. Due to flooding at the start of the State of Emergency last week, the only healthcare facility in Kashechewan had to be moved into the local elementary school. Many Indigenous leaders have been reaching out to the community to offer support and prayers for the safety of all the residents. “I think all Indigenous leaders across the country are looking at us and seeing how slow the response has been, but we don’t want this happening to any other First Nation community,” Wesley said. Mushkegowuk Council represents seven Cree First Nations in northern Ontario. The Chiefs of that group are demanding the federal and provincial governments “commit to sustainable long-term solutions for water treatment and wastewater infrastructure in Kashechewan and other coastal communities,” a recent news release said. “Our water plant is outdated and so are the other plants in the coastal communities,” said the council’s Grand Chief, Leo Friday, speaking with CTV News by phone from Ottawa. Friday was the chief of Kashechewan during its water crisis in 2005. The Grand Chief called the situation in Kashechewan a “humanitarian crisis.” “They drink from the tap and that tap is not really good,” he said. “If you wanted to make tea you would see a cream oil on top of your tea… When you cook with it too. It’s really something that nobody from down south would not accept to use.” Wesley said plans are underway to bring a contingent of First Nation leaders to Kashechewan First Nation this Thursday to see the situation first-hand. Minister of Indigenous Affairs Greg Rickford has also been invited to be part of the trip. Wesley said he is hopeful Rickford will prioritize the visit. “This is happening in his backyard and he’s the minister that’s supposedly working for First Nations,” he said. In an email to CTV News, Indigenous Services Canada spokesperson Eric Head said that health emergency response discussions remain ongoing with the First Nation and partners. “Daily coordination calls of health partners remain focused on identifying health needs during the evolving situation and supporting accordingly,” the federal department said in its statement. “When a do-not-consume order has been issued on water, symptoms of gastrointestinal illness are a concern. Anyone from Kashechewan presenting with symptoms is encouraged to seek a health evaluation. Nurses and physicians can assess symptoms to determine appropriate action, which may include further testing.” RELATED STORIES:
