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CBC
18 hours ago
- General
- CBC
Over 800 Deer Lake First Nation wildfire evacuees returning home after weeks in Toronto
Social Sharing A month after being displaced by the region's largest wildfire, hundreds of evacuees from Deer Lake First Nation in northwestern Ontario are returning home. The first plane out of Toronto, where roughly 885 people have been staying for the past four weeks, left on Friday, Chief Leonard Mamakeesic told CBC News. The community is first bringing back its essential workers, who will then be able to prepare the First Nation for the large-scale repatriation of the rest of its members. "Everybody's happy, right? Everybody wants to go home. It's really exhausting here. They want to be able to sleep in their own home," said Deer Lake's head councillor, Jeremy Sawanis. "It's so noisy in Toronto, too." The remote Oji-Cree community, located in Treaty 5 territory, is about 600 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay. It's only accessible by air or winter road. Its evacuation was prompted by Red Lake 12, a wildfire that's now more than 194,000 hectares in size. However, the fire is moving away from the community, and crews are starting to take down the sprinkler systems that have been protecting the First Nation's homes and essential infrastructure. For Sawanis, being in Toronto has been a big culture shock. "I spend my whole time out in the bush, right? This just gets depressing after a while," he said. "I should be out fishing and hunting, [I] need to be on the land." Meanwhile, more than 2,000 evacuees from Sandy Lake First Nation remain in communities in southern Ontario, also because of Red Lake 12. Its evacuation was assisted by the Canadian Armed Forces earlier in June. Mamakeesic hopes all of his community members will be back in Deer Lake by Tuesday. There's been high demand for planes over the last few days, with members of Keewaywin First Nation also returning home, which pushed Deer Lake's repatriation back a day or two, he said. "Everybody is still with us. We have not lost anybody," Mamakeesic said. "That is my main goal — get everybody back home safe." 'People do care' Earlier this week, fire information officer Alison Bezubiak of Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) told CBC News that recent rainfall and cooler temperatures have offered reprieve to FireRangers on the front lines. However, as the weather has been warming up over the last couple days, the wildland fire hazard has worsened, and is considered primarily moderate across the southern half of the region and high across the Far North. "More rainfall is expected over the weekend into Tuesday," Ontario Forest Fires said in its latest update, on Thursday evening. Since the evacuation began, Mamakeesic said, he's learned three key lessons: patience, the importance of working together and the value of communication. He's been satisfied with the accommodations provided in Toronto and the security services offered by ISN Maskwa, an Indigenous emergency operations centre, which were supplemented by his own members, he said. "[I have] gratitude for all the patience and people that have reached out to help us. There are surrounding tribal councils that have reached out, the Lions Club as well, and there's people that have reached out [from] surrounding organizations as well — they're dropping off donations," Mamakeesic said. "People do care."
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lawsuit accuses province of failing to protect Saskatchewan River delta, violating treaty obligations
Cumberland House Cree Nation says the provincial government is not protecting the Saskatchewan River system, and now it's time to take the province to court. Lawyers for the First Nation in northeastern Saskatchewan filed a statement of claim Tuesday in Saskatoon Court of King's Bench, alleging the government has failed to uphold its treaty obligations. It names the government of Saskatchewan as the defendant. For generations, the people of Cumberland House Cree Nation have depended on the Saskatchewan River delta, the largest freshwater river delta in North America, stretching 9,700 square kilometres from northeast Saskatchewan into western Manitoba, the lawsuit says. But government-approved activities upstream — such as dams, irrigation and industrial and urban uses — have dramatically reduced the amount of water that reaches the delta, continually degrading the ecosystem, the lawsuit says. That has affected the ability of the people there to exercise their treaty rights to maintain their way of life, Cumberland House Cree Nation Chief Rene Chaboyer said at a Tuesday news conference in Saskatoon. "We feel that our hand is being forced to … move forward into the court of law to seek justice, and today's a very important day in the history of our community, our province, in our country." He and other community members spoke about how the delta has changed over their lifetimes: the water is no longer safe to drink, species of fish have disappeared, moose are migrating elsewhere, birds are changing their migration patterns and muskrats are hard to find, they said. "Back in the day, it was healthy.… Nowadays it's scary," Chaboyer said. Treaty 5 covers an area of about 260,000 square kilometres in parts of what are now Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. It was signed in 1875, with the ancestors of Cumberland House signing on in 1876. The inhabitants agreed to share their land with the newcomers in exchange for promises, including that Cumberland House would be free to continue to hunt, fish, trap and harvest in the treaty territory, the lawsuit says. "The treaties are what allowed the newcomers to come and settle in Saskatchewan, and the treaties were only made because of that promise that Cumberland House Cree Nation could continue to maintain its way of life," Tim Dickson, the First Nation's lawyer, said at Tuesday's news conference. "That treaty promise is part of the foundation of Canada and of Canadian law. It's protected by the Canadian Constitution and it's enforceable in court." WATCH | Massive Saskatchewan irrigation plan threatens wildlife, opponents say: The Saskatchewan River delta is the First Nation's homeland and "essential" to their culture and identity, Dickson said. CBC News has reached out to the Saskatchewan government for its response to the lawsuit. Activities upstream — including hydroelectric dams, water diversion and withdrawal of water for irrigation, industrial uses and drinking water — have starved the delta of its vital sediment and polluted the water, Cumberland House is arguing in its lawsuit. The proposed construction of the $1.15-billion Lake Diefenbaker irrigation megaproject, which the government has committed to beginning this year, is also seen as "a very serious threat," Dickson said. Cumberland House has tried to engage with the province on the project, but "there has been very little engagement from the government," Dickson said. Instead, residents have watched as, year after year, the delta degrades. The loss of the delta would be felt not just by the people who live there, but by everyone, said Cumberland House Cree Nation Coun. Beverly Goulet. At the end of Tuesday's news conference, she responded to a question asked earlier by a journalist about how much compensation the community was seeking. "Instead of worrying about money, because we certainly can't take it with us when we pass … remember the children," Goulet said. "That's who we want to protect, because we've done enough damage to this planet. Like, what are they going to have? What have we done? "So, let's all think about that."
CBC
29-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Deer Lake First Nation evacuation begins as wildfires ramp up across the region
As crews work to douse a dozen wildfires in northwestern Ontario, new restrictions are being put in place in hopes of preventing further damage. On Wednesday, Deer Lake First Nation called for a community evacuation due to a 100-hectare wildfire known as Red Lake 12, located near the remote community's airport. CL415 waterbombers worked throughout the afternoon until dark to reduce the fire's intensity. By morning, it had grown to about 2,500 hectares. While it is moving in a westerly direction away from the community, chief and council have requested a Phase 1 evacuation of vulnerable people starting Thursday, said Chris Marchand, fire information officer with Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES). "That certainly illustrates the very dry conditions that we're seeing and have seen over the last several weeks," Marchand told CBC News in an interview Thursday afternoon. "This area close to the Manitoba border has not seen more than 10 millimetres of rain in weeks, and there really isn't a lot to look forward to in the forecast." About 1,100 people live in Deer Lake, an Oji-Cree community in Treaty 5 located about 180 kilometres north of Red Lake. It is only accessible by air or winter road. CBC News has reached out to community leadership and officials and is waiting to confirm details about where evacuees from Deer Lake are being sent. Dave Tarini, deputy chief of Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, said evacuees will be hosted in southern Ontario, but he is unaware of the exact location. Further south, Wabaseemoong Independent Nations has been under an evacuation order since May 13; evacuees are staying in Niagara Falls, Kenora and Winnipeg due to Kenora 20, which is now 34,000 hectares large. Meanwhile, east of Deer Lake, Webequie First Nation issued a pre-evacuation notice to its members on Wednesday, urging them to create 72-hour emergency kits due to Nipigon 5, which is within one kilometre of the First Nation. "Out of caution, chief and council, alongside health officials, are advising all residents — especially those with respiratory conditions or chronic health issues — to remain indoors as much as possible. Air quality and fire movement will continue to be monitored on an hourly basis," the First Nation said in an update issued Thursday. Ontario's Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, alongside Environment and Climate Change Canada, have issued special air quality statements for much of the northwest. These span as far north as Fort Severn, east to Geraldton, south to Dryden and west to Kenora, affecting more than a dozen First Nations. On Wednesday evening, Ontario's (AFFES) reported that: Five fires are under control. Three fires are being held. Three fires are not under control. Four fires have been called out over the last 24 hours. New restricted fire zone in effect Friday As of midnight on Friday, Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources is enforcing a new restricted fire zone in the northwest. Another restricted fire zone has been in effect since May 16, including areas between the U.S. and Manitoba borders to Atikokan, and north to Pickle Lake. The new restricted zone extends eastward from the existing boundaries near Upsala and Quetico Park in the south to encompass the Thunder Bay area, with the Nipigon River acting as the new eastern boundary, Marchand explained. "At a time when we have significant fire activity that is affecting various communities and engaging so much of our resources, it's important that we take these measures to limit the potential for human-caused fires at this time," he said. Under a restricted fire zone, no open-air burning, including campfires, is permitted. "Portable gas or propane stoves may be used for cooking and warmth but must be handled with extreme caution. All burning permits are suspended," Ontario Forest Fires says on its website. The City of Thunder Bay is also issuing its own fire ban, which will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday. No open-air burning will be permitted, and all burn permits suspended, until the provincial restricted fire zone is lifted, Thunder Bay Fire Rescue said in a media release issued Thursday.
Winnipeg Free Press
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Artist uses ancient technique to tell historical stories
Last September, Winnipeg-based visual artist Tim Schouten travelled to Linklater Island in northern Manitoba. He was there to attend a Treaty 5 memorial gathering and the inauguration of Michael Birch as the Grand Chief of the Island Lake Tribal Council (Anisininew Okimawin). He was also there to document the site where an adhesion was made to Treaty 5 in 1909 as part of a long-term art project he's been working on for decades. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Artist Tim Shouten adds coloured pigments to hot wax in a process called encaustic painting. Schouten's latest exhibition, The Island Lake Paintings (Treaty 5) — on view at Soul Gallery until June 13 — is a series of large-scale encaustic works based on photographs Schouten took while on his trip. They are the latest entries in The Treaty Suites, Schouten's ongoing project to research and photograph the exact locations of the signings of each of the 11 numbered treaties between First Nations and the Canadian government between 1871 and 1921, and create suites of paintings related to each one. Schouten and his wife travelled to Eastern Europe in the 1990s, and he was overwhelmed by the sense of history and landscape there. He was also ready for a transition in his own work. 'I just happened to be reading a Polish edition of Flash Art Magazine with an article about a German painter Anselm Kiefer, who became a huge influence on my work going forward. His work focused on landscape and memory, which is sort of where this work comes out of,' says Schouten, 72. 'I came back to Canada and I had this idea to start thinking about the landscape as a historical document.' His own scenery had changed at that time as well: Schouten and his wife moved to Winnipeg from Toronto shortly after their trip. 'There were a couple of things I encountered. First of all, the Indigenous presence in the city was quite new to me. Just standing on street corners and people were talking in Cree and Ojibwa — that was something quite new to me,' he says. 'And travelling around the province, I became very conscious of the isolation of a lot of First Nations communities, and also the level of racism that was so obvious everywhere in this city.' The Treaty Suites began after a visit to Lower Fort Garry, where Treaty 1 was signed in 1871, and expanded from there. Schouten has spent the last 20 years travelling all over the province and painting what he's seen. Going to these places —actually being in these places — is the point. His works are not historical renderings; Schouten wanted to paint these sites as they exist today. 'I kind of shifted my thinking to focus on the landscape in my work, but I was conscious of the colonial aspects of landscape painting itself, just in depicting the wild landscapes of colonized territories,' he says. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS The Island Lake Paintings (Treaty 5) depict where Treaty 5 was signed on Linklater Island in northern Manitoba. Schouten's preferred medium of encaustic painting — an ancient technique in which coloured pigments are added to hot wax — allows for a different approach to landscape painting as well. 'The way I build these paintings, I build layer upon layer and then scrape back into them. I scrape off and remove and paint back in. And part of my thinking is, as I've often said before, is that just over the course of their creation, they sort of develop a history of their own,' he says. As a settler artist, Schouten is not trying to tell Indigenous people's stories with The Treaty Suites. Wednesdays A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future. 'I think when people encounter this work and learn that it's a non-Indigenous guy that's making this work, it's like, well, why is this guy talking about treaties?' he says. It's because we are all treaty people, Schouten says. 'My ancestors signed these treaties, too. We're all signatories to these treaties. They're embedded in the federal laws of this country, and so I have a responsibility to that treaty relationship to make sure that it's true and genuine and honours the intentions of everyone who's signed. There was an agreement to share the land in good faith, and that's obviously failed. And I just felt like it was something I wanted to address in my work, just as a matter of conscience. 'I certainly couldn't just paint beautiful landscapes.' Jen ZorattiColumnist Jen Zoratti is a columnist and feature writer working in the Arts & Life department, as well as the author of the weekly newsletter NEXT. A National Newspaper Award finalist for arts and entertainment writing, Jen is a graduate of the Creative Communications program at RRC Polytech and was a music writer before joining the Free Press in 2013. Read more about Jen. Every piece of reporting Jen produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
23-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Sandy Lake First Nation mourns loss of 11-year-old to house fire, calls for more resources
Delores Kakegamic says she's tired of losing children to house fires in her community. The chief of Sandy Lake says the First Nation is mourning the loss of an 11-year-old child to a house fire that occurred Thursday afternoon. "Our firefighters have no gear. If they had gear, they would have been able to go further into the house, but with all the smoke, they could only go a couple of seconds at a time," Kakegamic said. The house belonged to the community's fire marshal, she said. A fire shield in the home gave them enough time to get the rest of the children out. Many of the occupants were treated at the nursing station for smoke inhalation. Sandy Lake First Nation is an Oji-Cree community located in Treaty 5, about 600 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, Ont. Kakegamic says about 3,500 people live there. There are two fire trucks in the First Nation but only one is functional, she said. Our firefighters have no gear. If they had gear, they would have been able to go further into the house, but with all the smoke, they could only go a couple of seconds at a time. The Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) told CBC News in an email that nine occupants escaped the fire, which was reported shortly after 5 p.m. on Thursday. "When officers arrived on scene, community fire suppression efforts were already ongoing. A scene is being held and members of the NAPS Northwest Crime Unit are now involved in the ongoing investigation," NAPS spokesperson Scott Paradis said Friday morning. The community is still grieving the death of a kindergarten student in a house fire in late February, Kakegamic said. In January 2022, three children — ages four, six and nine — also died in a house fire in Sandy Lake. In the fall, Sandy Lake filed a lawsuit against the federal government, alongside Oneida Nation of the Thames, over Canada's funding of fire services in First Nations. "We can say what we want, but it never arrives," Kakegamic said of the resources she's been asking for. CBC News has reached out to Indigenous Services Canada for a response about Thursday's fire in Sandy Lake First Nation and is awaiting a response. Fire prevention, planning People who live in First Nations are about 10 times more likely to die in a house fire than those living in other communities in the country, according to Statistics Canada. Arnold Lazare, who lives in Kahnawà:ke, Que., is the interim CEO of the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council. While the cause of Thursday's fire in Sandy Lake is unknown at this time, he said most fire-related deaths in remote communities can be attributed to a lack of smoke detectors, a shortage of firefighting services and overcrowded, inadequate housing. "You end up getting a perfect storm where you have multiple people, multiple families in an underrated home without a smoke detector," he said. While much of his work involves getting smoke detectors delivered to communities, he said, the most important thing is fire prevention education. For example, Lazare said people often take down smoke detectors when they're cooking and don't put them back. "There needs to be a public education process where the family is made aware of what to do, primarily the children and the elders who are the most vulnerable," Lazare said. He encourages all households to create a fire safety plan, so all members know where to locate emergency exits and have a meet-up spot outside in case a fire occurs. "We know that by continuing on this path, we are going to reduce the number of fire-related deaths," he said. 'The firefighters are traumatized' At the time of Thursday's fire, Kakegamic said about half of Sandy Lake's firefighters were participating in training outside the community. In addition to better equipment, she said she wants to see more mental health support for those keeping the community safe. "The firefighters are traumatized," she said. "They're left to deal with it on their own and they're having a tough time." With a new federal government in power — and the first Indigenous MP to hold the position of Minister of Indigenous Services — Lazare said he feels hopeful that federal funding can be better allocated to meet First Nations' needs. Providing resources at the community level is key, he said. "Part of our plan is to advocate not for an increase in funding, because we realize funding is short, but what we're advocating for is a more effective use of the dollars that are there," he said. "It empowers the community."
