AMC wants improved fire safety following apartment fire

A fire is seen at an apartment on Tataskweyak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba on Saturday, February 11, 2023. A 17-year-old girl and a toddler are in critical condition in hospital after police say the teen rescued other children from a burning home on a northern Manitoba First Nation. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Manitoba RCMP

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) is sounding the alarm on fire safety, one week after multiple families were displaced and two people were injured during a fire in northern Manitoba.

A fire in an apartment building on Tataskweyak Cree Nation on Feb. 11 impacted eight apartments, displacing 10 families. The fire also injured a 17-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy, requiring them to be transported to Winnipeg for care. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Grand Chief Cathy Merrick with the AMC says 49 people were displaced from their homes as a result of the fire.

“It is absolutely heartbreaking to lose so much so quickly,” Merrick said in a news release. “The AMC supports Chief Taralee Beardy of Tataskweyak Cree Nation in calling for more fire safety resources. Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) could have avoided tragedies like this had they provided the necessary fire safety equipment and resources, such as a new fire truck, instead of leaving the First Nation to buy used equipment.”

The fire in Tataskweyak comes nearly one year following a fire on Pimicikamak Cree Nation, which killed three children. Fire services and safety in First Nations communities have been a concern, as fires on First Nations have caused a much higher rate of death and injuries compared to fires off-reserve. Experts have cited several factors, including overcrowded homes, improper fire safety education and lower funding for fire prevention services.

“Our First Nation Citizens deserve to feel safe in their homes and in their Nations. We call on Indigenous Services Canada to respond to Tataskweyak Cree Nation’s request for better resources and ensure all First Nations in Manitoba have adequate Fire Safety resources to keep their citizens safe,” Merrick said in a statement.

According to Indigenous Services Canada, regional officials met with Tataskweyak Cree Nation on Feb. 14.

Indigenous Services Canada provides approximately $216,000 annually to Tataskweyak Cree Nation for fire protection and other services. The community then directs the funds to the appropriate areas.

“We are working with the First Nation to ensure that needed supports are in place. This includes options on either repairing or replacing their existing fire truck,” a spokesperson said in a prepared statement.

A spokesperson for the office of Patty Hadju, Minister of Indigenous Services, said Hadju has also reached out to Tataskweyak.

“The number of fires and frequency of loss of life from fire emergencies on reserve is absolutely unacceptable. Minister Hajdu has met with the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council, and we are working closely with the AFN to move forward on a new First Nations Fire Protection Strategy,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “In the coming weeks, we are looking to hold a fire safety gathering in order to bring partners and experts from across the country together, and identify what solutions can be implemented in the short, medium, and long terms to improve fire safety on reserves.”