Leaders in Neskantaga First Nation are actively seeking support from provincial and federal authorities to address the urgent need for a new healthcare facility, as vulnerable community members face their second evacuation this summer. The remote Ojibway community, located approximately 440 kilometers northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario, declared a state of emergency on August 4 due to a sewage leak at the community’s sole nursing station. With fewer than 400 residents, the First Nation has been grappling with multiple crises, including a recent evacuation triggered by nearby wildfires shortly after more than 140 community members had returned home from Toronto.
Chief Gary Quisses highlighted that last year, the community was evacuated for three months following a flood and fuel odor at the nursing station, requesting support for a new health facility, which has not materialized. In addition, Neskantaga has been under a boil water advisory for an alarming 31 years, the longest in Canada.
During a news conference at Queen’s Park, Neskantaga leaders, in collaboration with Kiiwetinoong NDP MPP Sol Mamakwa, stressed the critical need for improved healthcare services in the region. Mamakwa emphasized the importance of essential services, such as the nursing station in Neskantaga, and criticized the neglect of Indigenous communities’ needs amidst resource extraction activities like the Ring of Fire.
The nursing station in Neskantaga, built in 1994, faced severe damage from the recent sewage leak, necessitating its replacement. Although a temporary station was established, it can only offer basic medical services, leaving the community in a health care crisis. Efforts are underway to assess the situation and plan for the station’s restoration, with no definitive timeline provided yet.
As the community continues to grapple with infrastructure challenges, Kerry Black, an expert in water and wastewater issues in First Nations, highlighted the persistent lack of clean drinking water and the need for sustainable funding to address underlying problems. Charla Moonias, a child and family services worker from Neskantaga, emphasized the ongoing struggles faced by community members due to inadequate health care, water insecurity, and housing issues.
Despite the challenges, Chief Gary Quisses remains hopeful that the current situation will draw attention to the dire conditions in Neskantaga and prompt meaningful action to improve healthcare and infrastructure in the community, particularly as development initiatives in the region progress.