Kashechewan evacuation underway due to spring flooding of the Albany River
Two online news stories describe the current evacuation that is underway in Kashechewan First Nation.
from http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/04/23/kashechewan060423.html
Flooding forces 750 from Kashechewan reserve - Sun, 23 Apr 2006 - CBC News
Spring flooding has forced hundreds of people to leave the northern Ontario reserve of Kashechewan.
A helicopter takes Kashechewan residents from their water-logged Ontario reserve to nearby Fort Albany, before they go south by plane.
About 750 people, of a total population of 1,750, had been flown south from the James Bay community to Geraldton and Cochrane late Sunday afternoon, Chief Leo Friday told CBC News Online.
Kashechewan declared a state of emergency Saturday when water levels rose quickly and asked for immediate help from the province.
Starting with old people and infants on the first day, about 350 people were flown to Cochrane by Sunday morning and 400 were being flown to Geraldton on Sunday.
Julian Fantino, Ontario's commissioner of emergency management, said as many as 900 could be flown out.
He said there's both good and bad news in the fight against the flooded Albany River.
Kashechewan's airstrip has been too wet to use – the evacuees are being flown by helicopter to nearby Fort Albany, and then south by plane – but workers started at 6 a.m. Sunday to compact the surface.
"It may be solid enough to be used" on Monday, and a plane will attempt a landing in the morning," the chief said.
But the dike that protects the community is leaking and basements are already flooded.
"At this point it's starting to leak slowly," Friday said. "Our generators may be flooded tomorrow."
On Sunday afternoon, Kashechewan asked for pumps to be brought from Moosonee. "If we can have at least a couple of pumps, we can save the whole community from being damaged," he said.
There is also a drinking water problem. Ice has taken the water-treatment plant out of service and the remaining residents are drinking water that was delivered, but Friday is not sure how long it will last.
The community has asked the federal Department of Indian Affairs to bring in more water.
Drinking-water quality not problem, Fantino says
Fantino said the flooding is unrelated to problems that forced the evacuation of more than 1,100 Kashechewan residents in the fall of 2005.
"This problem has nothing to do with the quality of the community's water," he said.
The water level receded by about half a metre early Sunday, but is still 3½ to 4½ metres higher than normal, the province said in a release.
Residents 'cranky'
Friday said people are 'cranky' with the federal government, which is responsible for the infrastructure, and has rejected local proposals as too expensive, he said.
"They're really pissed off at the (federal) government for not making the infrastructure work."
For example, the community wanted above-ground steel storage tanks for the water plant, but got below-ground concrete ones, which get contaminated by ground water.
The flooding is Kashechewan's third water-related problem in a year.
About 200 people were flown off the reserve last spring when the Albany River broke through the dike and flooded some homes.
Then in the fall, water-quality issues sparked a mass evacuation.
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Ontario government evacuating hundreds from Kashechewan due to flooding - Mon Apr 24, 2006
KASHECHEWAN, Ont. (CP) - Spring flooding has forced the evacuation of this First Nations community, the third time in 12 months that emergency teams have descended on the remote James Bay reserve.
Kashechewan declared a state of emergency on Saturday and asked Emergency Management Ontario for immediate assistance. The Ministry of Natural Resources began by airlifting 232 residents to Cochrane, Ont., on Saturday night. Up to 900 additional residents were to be flown out Sunday to Cochrane, Ont., and Greenstone, Ont., said Julian Fantino, Ontario's commissioner of emergency management.
But Sunday's evacuations were slowed by the sheer volume of residents being shuttled by helicopters across the Albany River to Fort Albany, where 37-passenger Dash 8s and nine-passenger Twin Otter aircraft ferried residents onward.
Kashechewan's own airport was unusable due to damage to the road leading to the airport, and because of water and ice on the runway.
As residents lined up to be airlifted from Kashechewan, those in Fort Albany also prepared for the possibility that they, too, could be uprooted from their homes by the rising waters.
"Last time I've seen this was when I was a kid about 10 years ago," said Fort Albany resident Ross Ashmock. "I've heard that they're packing bags right now, preparing for the worst."
Fantino stressed the flooding is unrelated to problems with contaminated water, which forced the evacuation of more than 1,100 Kashechewan residents last fall.
Still, it's yet another setback for the community of about 1,900, said David Ramsay, Ontario's minister of aboriginal affairs.
"It was last spring they had an evacuation because of flooding (and there was the evacuation because of contaminated water), so this is basically the third evacuation now in 12 months," he said.
Ramsay said he planned to speak with his federal counterpart, Jim Prentice, and Kashechewan Chief Leo Friday about doing more for the community.
"There was an agreement by the federal government to do a partial move off the community, to rebuild some of the community on higher ground, and I think we need to . . . have a broader discussion (about doing more)," Ramsay said.
"I intend to bring this up with (Prentice) when I meet him (Monday)."
The water level had receded about half a metre earlier Sunday, but was still 3.5 to 4.5 metres higher than normal.
"Last night, the power system was down," Ramsay said. "In fact, they had to light fires at the airport so the helicopters could find where to land."
"There's a lot going on but we're getting the people out, getting them to safety."
Fantino said the military is also on standby with personnel and equipment ready to be deployed if necessary.
Monte Kwinter, minister of community safety and correctional services, said in a statement that Emergency Management Ontario had been preparing for possible problems in northern Ontario communities for more than a month.
"Flooding is an annual problem, and EMO has been working with communities to ensure their emergency flood plans were in order, and we have been talking with all parties involved to ensure a co-ordinated response to the spring flooding situation in northern Ontario," he said.