I miss “being on the land,” Kashechewan teen says as she lives city life in Niagara Falls after evacuation
CBC
Two weeks since they arrived in Niagara Falls, Ont., a Kashechewan First Nation mother and her teenage daughter say they deeply appreciate the help even as they miss “being on the land” with a “view of the forest.”
They are just two of almost 1,000 people forced out of their homes due to a weeks-long water crisis, sparked by a damaged treatment plant. With 1,700 evacuees expected in the Niagara Region city alone, authorities and local Indigenous groups are doing everything they can to help people feel at home so far away.
On Jan. 4, Kashechewan Chief Hosea Wesley declared a state of emergency at the First Nation in northern Ontario, where pumps at the community’s water treatment plant were clogged, unable to mix the chemicals needed to treat drinking water.
“It was sudden,” said Kerri-Ann Koosees, “I did not prepare for this evacuation.”
Koosees has been working with hotels in Niagara Falls to ensure the community’s needs are being met, but the first few weeks since they’ve arrived have been tiring, she says.
“After a while, it does start getting a bit more easier,” Koosees told CBC News.
As of Friday, 921 people evacuated from Kashechewan First Nation, along the west coast of James Bay, are staying at hotels in Niagara Falls, said Niagara Falls fire chief Jo Zambito.
Some arrived by air in Hamilton before being taken by bus to the city, while others travelled by bus from Kapuskasing, Ont.
Most will be staying in Niagara Falls, with others are set to settle into communities including Kapuskasing, Timmins, Ont., and Kingston, Ont.
Zambito says there are no scheduled flights for the weekend and the city is not anticipating any more people coming, unless plans change.
“We still have significant space,” Zambito told CBC. “We have up to 1,700 that we can accommodate.”
WATCH | A message to those back in Kashechewan:
Koosees's daughter, Keisha Paulmartin, is worried about her family, friends and pets back home.
“Before we evacuated, it was very hard on me not being able to take a shower regularly,” Paulmartin said. “It made me feel very dirty and that just affected my mental health.”
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