‘These are things that nobody should go through’: no end in sight to water crisis in Kashechewan First Nation
CBC
As Kaschechwan First Nation navigates a water crisis, families are having to get by with one case of water bottles per day.
“The problem is some houses have a lot of kids and some houses of like three families in one house and one water bottle case per day,” said Keisha Paulmartin, a 15-year-old from Kaschechwan.
“Sometimes it isn't enough for each household.”
On Sunday, Jan. 4, Kashechewan First Nation Chief Hosea Wesley declared a state of local emergency because the community’s water treatment and wastewater plants were in a state of disrepair.
In early December, pumps at the water treatment plant failed, which meant chemicals could not be mixed in to treat drinking water. Then, the wastewater treatment plant’s raw sewage intake started failing as well.
“It's expected for us to use those water bottles for our daily needs,” said Paulmartin. “It just sucks.”
Sinclair Williams also lives in Kashechewan and said the situation is unacceptable.
“These are things that nobody should go through,” he said. “A lot of simple things that any average Canadian takes for granted. Fluid, water, the basic things that every other person uses.”
On Jan. 7 around 35 of the community’s most vulnerable residents were evacuated to Timmins, Ont.
The next day, five more flights were chartered to Kapuskasing, Ont., which will be able to host more than 200 evacuees.
Kashechewan’s leaders are working with the federal and provincial governments for a full evacuation of the First Nation’s 2,300 residents.
There are no permanent roads to Kashechewan, which is located along the James Bay coast. The only way to evacuate people is by air.
More flights weren’t possible on Friday, due to poor weather conditions, but a spokesperson with Indigenous Services Canada told CBC News it’s continuing to co-ordinate a full evacuation.
Evacuations have become a way of life for Paulmartin and others in the community.
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