Hundreds of individuals from Kashechewan First Nation have been relocated to Niagara Falls, as the Cree community faces an extended water crisis due to a damaged treatment plant. The Niagara Region city is prepared to host around 1,700 evacuees, with efforts from authorities and local Indigenous organizations to ensure their comfort.
Niagara Falls has already received over 600 evacuees, with more arrivals expected despite minor weather-related delays. Evacuees were airlifted to Hamilton and then transported by bus to Niagara Falls.
Most evacuees will be accommodated in Niagara Falls, while others will be placed in communities like Timmins, Kapuskasing, and Kingston. Robert Garland, a vice president at risk mitigation company Xpera overseeing the evacuation, has facilitated the accommodation of evacuees in three hotels in Niagara Falls.
Despite being a popular tourist destination, Niagara Falls has smoothly welcomed the evacuees, with ample space and resources available. Jo Zambito, chief of the city’s fire department, emphasized the city’s readiness to assist those in need.
During the wildfires in northern Ontario last year, Niagara Falls provided shelter to about 3,000 evacuees from First Nations in northern Manitoba and Ontario. To ease the culture shock for Kashechewan evacuees staying in Niagara Falls, Garland and Zambito collaborated with local Indigenous groups, including the Fort Erie Friendship Native Centre, to address their needs.
The Fort Erie Friendship Native Centre is organizing cultural activities and providing traditional medicines such as sage and sweetgrass to support the evacuees. They also plan to open their kitchen to allow evacuees to prepare traditional meals.
Kashechewan declared a state of emergency on January 4 due to a water crisis caused by clogged pumps at the community’s treatment plant. Residents have resorted to alternative water sources like bottled water following a gastrointestinal outbreak. Technicians have repaired the plant, but water safety tests are pending.
Donations such as clothes for Kashechewan community members in Niagara Falls can be made through the Fort Erie Friendship Native Centre. The community’s resilience in times of crisis has been commended by Garland, highlighting the Niagara Falls community’s commitment to assisting those in need.