Kashechewan First Nation (Ontario): Only a few hundred residents remain in Kashechewan First Nation in northern Ontario after widespread failures in the community’s water supply and sewage systems forced a large-scale evacuation, raising serious public health concerns.
Kashechewan First Nation Executive Director Tyson Wesley said that by Sunday, only around 400 people would remain in the fly-in community, which has a population of approximately 2,200 and is located on the western shore of James Bay.
The community declared a state of emergency on January 4 after critical infrastructure damage led to sewage backing up into homes and contaminating the local water system. As a result, authorities shut down the water treatment plant, leaving residents without safe running water.
“We’ve been evacuating five to six planes a day, and today alone four flights are scheduled,” Wesley said on Saturday. “The sewage infrastructure failed, and sewage entered the water treatment system, forcing us to shut off the community’s water supply entirely.”
The situation worsened when sewage flooding occurred at the community’s only health clinic, rendering it unsafe to operate. A temporary clinic has since been set up to provide limited medical services as evacuations continue.
“We had no choice but to shut the clinic down,” Wesley said. “It was not safe, and we had to create a temporary facility while people are being moved out.”
Health officials are also investigating a potential disease outbreak. Wesley confirmed that several residents fell ill in recent weeks with gastrointestinal symptoms, and at least eight people have tested positive for a parasitic infection, suspected to be cryptosporidium.
“There was a spike in stomach-related illnesses, so we requested increased testing,” he said. “Some stool samples came back positive, and more results are expected soon.”
Additional water testing is underway at the treatment plant to identify the source of contamination. Officials expect clearer answers within the coming week.
Residents who remain in Kashechewan are relying entirely on bottled water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene. Bottled water supplies are continuing to arrive, but repairs to the water plant, sewage infrastructure, and clinic are still pending.
Indigenous Services Canada has said it is prioritising the evacuation of vulnerable residents and has engaged a specialised water and wastewater management company to address the infrastructure failures that led to the shutdown of the treatment plant.
Many evacuees have been relocated to cities including Niagara Falls, Timmins, Kapuskasing, and Kingston. Wesley said residents are relieved to once again have access to safe tap water but are eager to return home as soon as conditions allow.
“They can bathe their children and cook without fear now, which is a big relief,” he said. “But everyone wants to go back home.”
Kashechewan has faced repeated evacuations over the years, particularly due to spring flooding. Wesley noted that the community has been relocated to a flood-prone area, making annual evacuations of vulnerable residents a recurring reality.
“The location itself is not suitable,” he said. “We evacuate almost every year because the systems meant to protect us don’t guarantee safety during flood events.”
