Mushkegowuk concerned with infrastructure, community safety

Following another spring of evacuations and flood scares along the James Bay coast, Mushkegowuk Tribal Council leaders are calling on the federal and provincial governments to improve infrastructure in the northern communities.
High water levels led to sewage back ups or lagoon problems in Attawapiskat, Kashechewan and Fort Albany, leading to evacuations of 250 residents from Kashechewan and 60 from Attawapiskat due to health risks.
Deputy Grand Chief Leo Friday said that major investments and new funding arrangements need to be made to improve the infrastructure on the four Mushkegowuk communities that are located on flood plains.
“Small handouts buried under piles of paperwork to address short-term problems are not the solution,” Friday said in a media release. “AANDC (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development of Canada) expends hundreds of thousands of dollars each spring on these infrastructure problems. It is time to look for solutions.”
Grand Chief Stan Louttit added that funding is required to conduct engineering assessments since the infrastructure of each community is “old and dilapidated.”
“Once engineering assessments have been completed, we would have a very good idea of what the longer term strategies and solutions should be,” Louttit said. “I am calling on the government to work with us to ensure that the long term safety of our communities is a priority.”
Louttit added a fundamental change is needed in how funding is controlled and allocated.
“It is not right how the provincial and federal governments are taking millions of dollars in revenue from the resources from our lands and we need to beg to have enough money returned to get clean water and safe communities,” he said. “We will fight to change this fiscal imbalance in any way we can.”