Elders, people with health issues and young children have been evacuated from two more Nishnawbe Aski Nations due to smoky conditions from forest fires.
Keewaywin completed a stage 1 evacuation July 17, with 182 residents evacuated to Greenstone.
Eabametoong was in process of evacuating July 17, with about 281 residents being evacuated to Greenstone.
July 18 evacuations are also being planned for Sandy Lake and North Spirit Lake.
The forest fire situation in the northwest region of Ontario remains extreme with 96 active fires, burning an area of about 254,000 hectares. Smoke can be seen on satellite images in a band from Manitoba directly eastward to mid-Quebec and south as far as New Brunswick.
About 250 community members were evacuated from Cat Lake July 14 and 15 to Kapuskasing and Matachewan.
Red Lake District Fire Number 84, located about 50 kilometres northeast of Ear Falls, is not under control as of July 17. The fire has escaped control to the southeast and is threatening the power line to Cat Lake, Slate Falls, Mishkeegogamang, Pickle Lake and Musselwhite Mine again. The Ministry of Natural Resources is continuing efforts to protect the power line.
Sioux Lookout Fire 70, located in the area of the Musselwhite Mine and not under control as of July 17, is estimated to be at more than 70,000 hectares in size.
An Emergency Area Order has been put in place over Sioux Lookout Fire 70 and another fire in the area, Sioux Lookout Fire Number 60. Restrictions are in place on Highway 599 north of Pickle Lake and on a number of waterways in the area of the fires.
Sioux Lookout Fire 35, located about nine kilometres east of Mishkeegogamang, is not under control at 79,000 hectares in size.
An Emergency Area Order remains in effect over the fire and travel restrictions are in place for a section of the Albany River in the vicinity of the fire.
Deer Lake evacuees returned home July 13 after being evacuated July 7 to Greenstone due to a forest fire located about three kilometres from the fly-in community.
Mishkeegogamang evacuees have also returned home after being evacuated June 22.
When I was a boy growing up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast, I was deathly afraid of looking at the full moon.
When I was a boy growing up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast, I was deathly afraid of looking at the full moon.
I grew up...
I’m happy to see the ongoing support and assistance in our northern remote communities to help our people cope with so many lifelong and generational issues...