Power outages persist in 6 First Nations in northwestern Ontario, as supplies run low
CBC
On the community's fourth day without power, Pikangikum First Nation's chief says the situation is becoming dire.
"There's minimal access to clean water, limited fuel supply, a limited number of generators," Chief Paddy Peters told CBC News on Tuesday afternoon.
"We have to deal with the power outage plus a forest fire, and it's created an extreme situation in my community."
Power outages are affecting five other First Nations in northwestern Ontario, after wildfires damaged utility poles along the Wataynikaneyap Power line on Saturday.
In a statement issued late Tuesday afternoon, Wataynikaneyap Power said the goal was to restore power by end of day Tuesday, but that there were a lot of challenges, "including logistics around lodging far from the work sites, moving crews around by air, weather affecting flights, [and] risk of additional damage needing to be fixed."
"Worker safety and restoration efforts are top priority," it said.
Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) says he anticipates outages will continue for a few more days.
"It's going to take a while, I think, because of the multiple sites where the grid has been compromised. That will require some time and effort to ensure that the crews are able to go in there safely to do the necessary repair work," Fiddler said.
Wataynikaneyap Power says it's working alongside Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Hydro One and the Provincial Emergency Response Organization "to safely organize crews and material for pole replacements."
"Crews are prioritizing poles based on criticality to restore power. Further ground crews arrived yesterday and more will be arriving today to assist," it said.
Meanwhile, Peters says the affected communities are dealing with food spoilage, overheating in buildings and a shortage of essential supplies.
While Deer Lake and Sandy Lake have access to diesel generators, Poplar Hill, North Spirit Lake and Keewaywin First Nations have no backup power available; Pikangikum's only source is the community's school.
NAN represents 49 First Nations across Treaties 9 and 5, three of which are experiencing power outages. The remaining three facing outages are under the Keewaytinook Okimakanak tribal council.
The food spoilage seen in these communities speaks to the need for better long-term solutions for emergency supplies in the north, Fiddler says.
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