Neskantaga First Nation’s only nursing station has been closed since Sunday. Here’s what leaders in the remote northwestern Ontario community are calling for from the federal government.
Neskantaga First Nation is evacuating its most vulnerable community members to Thunder Bay as it grapples with the closure of its only nursing station due to flooding.
The remote northwestern Ontario community has been under a state of emergency since Sunday, after health-care staff noticed water seeping from the walls and a strong smell of fuel.
About 131 evacuees, along with their indoor pets, will be transported to Thunder Bay, Neskantaga said in a news release Wednesday. Fewer than 400 people live in the First Nation.
“Our vulnerable people require full and immediate access to health services that, unfortunately, is not available in Neskantaga First Nation at the moment. We are not willing to put any high-risk people in a compromising position due the nursing station being closed,” said Chief Gary Quisses …