Kashechewan’s David Wesley was busy preparing luggage in Thunder Bay for a May 12 flight back home after Elders declared the community was out of danger on May 9. Photo by Rick Garrick.
About 320 Kashechewan evacuees began their return flights home from Thunder Bay on May 12 after the James Bay community’s pre-emptive evacuation order was rescinded on May 9.
“It’s a relief for everyone, but at the same time it is going to be a challenge because we have to consider the weather here and on the way home, which is Kashechewan along James Bay,” says Jordan Wynne, a Kashechewan liaison worker. “We’re hoping to get everyone home by today, eight flights. We have 45- and 37-seaters; everything is planned out. We were planning since two days ago.”
Wynne says the Kashechewan community members that were evacuated to Smooth Rock Falls, Hearst and Kapuskasing are already back home.
“I believe we’re the last ones,” Wynne says.
The evacuees were evacuated to Thunder Bay on May 1 due to the risk of flooding along the Albany River.
“There is a water gauge up the river,” Wynne says. “There are a few water gauges that we monitor online. If it gets to a (certain) height, then we stage a precautionary evacuation. And the only time we can go home is when the ice jam up is past our community and it is just river again.”
Kashechewan released a statement from chief and council on May 9 that the Elders took a surveillance flight to check the amount of ice left and the river level and judged the community to be out of danger.
“The evacuation has been very frustrating and has been especially hard on our Elders and children,” says the statement, which is posted on the nan.on.ca website. “We are glad that the danger is now over and feel confident and pray they will be safe returning home. The repatriation will start as soon as tomorrow and the necessary arrangements are being made for everybody to be home safe.”
During their stay in Thunder Bay at the Valhalla Inn, the younger Kashechewan evacuees participated in a variety of activities, including the Heartbeat of the Drum: A Walk for Healing on Mother’s Day where they helped carry the lead banner.
“We had a few members carry signs, we went to Chippewa Park,” Wynne says. “We managed to go to Mt. McKay.”
The youth also took advantage of the Valhalla Inn’s swimming pool.
“The kids loved the swimming pool,” Wynne says. “It kept them well occupied during the day.”
Wynne says the younger children were “full of energy.”
“They’re so used to being back home running everywhere they please,” Wynne says. “But we try to remind everyone we are not home, so we had events set up for them to go do a play park, girls and boys club, little bouncy houses for them to go and run and expend their energy.”
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue deputy chief David Paxton says there were about 150 evacuees under the age of 16.
“For the really younger kids, they went to the Maple Tops (Activity Centre) one day,” Paxton says. “I understand there are a lot of little play areas for the kids. And the other day they went to the movies … to see the Jungle Book.”
Paxton says the evacuees appreciated the support provided by the firefighters and other agencies.
“We’re just happy to help out again and hopefully everything is OK when they go back,” Paxton says.
The Canadian Red Cross also provided support for the evacuees.
“They’ve been here before so they are kind of used to the routine,” says Dave Schiller, field operations manager from London. “The city has had recreation going on here, indoor and outdoor, so that has been great for the kids. Also, for the adults we’ve had the store open every day, a couple of times a day, to meet any needs they have for food and supplies, et cetera.”
Wynne says the liaisons also had “a lot of responsibility” during the evacuation.
“We have to make sure we’re all keeping a close eye on each other and try to work as a team as best as we can,” Wynne says. “We really try to enforce the rules. We remind everyone that we are not home anymore, we have to follow these kind of rules.”
Wynne says there were also representatives from the Thunder Bay Police Service, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada at the evacuation site.
“We had firefighters, dedicated Thunder Bay Police (with) one cruiser on site at all times in case anything happens,” Wynne says.
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