It’s been weeks since wildfire evacuees from Whitestand First Nation and Armstrong in northwestern Ontario have been home. The communities are awaiting word from the province of changes in evacuation orders. In the meantime, preparations are underway to ensure essential supplies and infrastructure, as well as mental health resources, are in place.
Essential workers to help ensure Whitesand First Nation, Armstrong have proper supplies, services
Sarah Law · CBC News
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As more wildfire evacuees in northwestern Ontario prepare for the journey home, local leaders are warning residents that their communities may have changed drastically over the summer.
About 624 evacuees from Whitesand First Nation and Armstrong have been staying in Thunder Bay since mid-July. The close-knit communities (largely considered one and the same by residents there) are about 260 kilometres from the city.
At a virtual news conference on Friday, Whitesand’s Chief Lawrence Wanakamik said it’s expected the Ministry of Natural Resources will lift evacuation orders later this week.
“Lifting the orders is an important step,” Wanakamik said “But it does not mean everyone should leave their hotel and travel home right away. Whitesand must first make sure the community is ready.”
Essential workers will be sent to the community to ensure water, stores, supplies, internet and other important services are ready to go, he said.
Province cautious about changing evacuation orders
There were more than 2,800 wildfire evacuees from over a dozen communities in northwestern Ontario at the peak of this summer’s wildfire activity.
As of Monday, just over 700 people remain displaced, according to Ontario’s Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response (MEPR).
“First Nation community leadership makes the decision to return to their communities, on the advice of the Ministry of Natural Resources,” MEPR officials told CBC News in an email Monday. It added that the Natural Resources Ministry remains in regular contact with First Nations to provide information on fire activity and answer any questions.
“Changes to evacuation orders issued by the ministry will only be made when fires no longer pose a risk to community, based on the best advice of fire behaviour experts.”
As of Monday, Whitesand had not requested ministry support for the repatriation of its members, MEPR officials said.
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According to the province, once people can return to their communities, the MEPR will co-ordinate transportation and support when needed.
A spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) provided an emailed statement on Tuesday morning.
“We have been working closely with Whitesand First Nation and empowering their leaders to be part of the decision-making process about how and what supports are delivered to make sure their needs and priorities are addressed both during the evacuation and now as they prepare for potential repatriation,” wrote Jacinthe Goulet.
As well, ISC’s Emergency Management Assistance Plan “reimburses response and recovery activities due to emergencies, helping the community recover in a timely, durable and holistic way,” Goulet added.
‘Sense of home might be a bit distorted now’
Cellphone and landline services in Whitesand and Armstrong are still down, and the province plans to send Starlink equipment there for three months so there's internet access in case of an emergency, Wanakamik said.
“We are also planning for spoiled food, household garbage, roadside pickup and longer hours at the dump."
He also said plans are being made to deliver food hampers to households ahead of time, and arrange transportation for people and their pets.
Darian Baskatawang is Whitesand First Nation’s senior adviser and in-house counsel.
He told CBC News on Monday that the community anticipates smoke and water damage at homes and buildings, and is getting air purifiers and cleaning supplies to the First Nation as quickly as possible.
Another important aspect of the repatriation is having mental health resources readily available, he said.
“There will be a shock that even if you just look outside your backyard and nothing's there or everything [has] changed, your sense of home might be a bit distorted now.
“My own backyard used to have tons of forest behind it and now all of that forest has been deforested in order to make a fire guard.”
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It’s been a long summer for evacuees, who have shared that they miss fishing in the community and enjoying a home-cooked meal, Baskatawang said.
The community typically celebrates its Street Fair this week. In lieu of that, the First Nation has arranged a fish fry dinner, free ice cream, doughnuts and live performances in Thunder Bay to lift people’s spirits.
Wildfire teams from Canada, Mexico still working
More than 120 wildfires continue to burn across Ontario, with the majority in the northwest.
Whitesand First Nation and Armstrong have been primarily affected by what’s known as the Rinker Lake Complex, consisting of wildfires known as Thunder Bay 36, Dryden 34 and Dryden 35. All three remain not under control.
While fire activity across the Complex is low, fire rangers from Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Mexico are suppressing hot spots identified by infrared scans, Ontario’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) said in an update Sunday evening.
“Some crews are creating and maintaining helipads to support the strategic movement of personnel into areas of the Complex that still require suppression activities,” AFFES said.
As front-line workers continue to battle the blazes, community members far and wide have continued to gather donations for those affected.
Other communities pitch in to fundraise
In southern Ontario, the community of Cobourg, in partnership with Alderville, recently raised $11,195 for Whitesand and Armstrong through its 10 for 10 Donation Campaign. The idea was for people to make 10 calls over 10 days, and encourage 10 people to donate at least $10.
“I couldn't believe how many hundreds of community members really took up the challenge, calling different organizations, calling different media agencies, making sure people in Ottawa and Kingston all knew about it,” Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland said.
In addition, the Northwestern Ontario Wildfire Community Support Fund, launched earlier this summer by the United Way of Thunder Bay and Thunder Bay Community Foundation, has raised $400,000 as of Monday.
“We're so grateful and so, so thankful for everyone that showed up every day to volunteer, showed up in whatever ways they can, or even donated" money or items, Baskatawang said.
“We're really excited that we could be going home very soon.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Law is a CBC News reporter based in Thunder Bay, Ont., and has also worked for newspapers and online publications elsewhere in the province. Have a story tip? You can reach her at sarah.law@cbc.ca.
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