Amid a water crisis in Kaschechwan First Nation, families are struggling with a limited supply of one case of water bottles daily. Keisha Paulmartin, a 15-year-old resident, highlighted the challenge faced by households with multiple occupants.
Chief Hosea Wesley declared a local state of emergency on Jan. 4 due to the deteriorating condition of the community’s water and wastewater facilities. The water treatment plant’s malfunction in early December led to a shortage of treated water, compounded by problems with the sewage treatment plant.
Residents like Sinclair Williams expressed their discontent with the situation, emphasizing the essential nature of water access. A group of vulnerable individuals were evacuated to Timmins, Ontario, on Jan. 7, with further evacuations planned to accommodate the community’s 2,300 residents.
Kashechewan’s lack of permanent road access necessitates air evacuations during emergencies. The ongoing coordination for a comprehensive evacuation is underway, hindered temporarily by adverse weather conditions.
Evacuations have become routine for residents like Paulmartin and Petersen Spence due to seasonal flooding in the area. Spence, a member of Kashechewan’s Youth Leadership Group, shared his past experiences with evacuations and the disruptions they caused to his education and daily life.
Efforts are being made to repair the water treatment plant by deploying workers from Northern Waterworks, although the timeline for completion remains uncertain. The community awaits a resolution to the crisis and the return to normalcy.