Home / Disasters and Accidents / Kashechewan Evacuation: Water Crisis Forces Community Out
Kashechewan Evacuation: Water Crisis Forces Community Out
13 Jan
Summary
- Over 700 Kashechewan residents evacuated due to water treatment plant failure.
- A gastrointestinal outbreak is occurring, with uncertain links to tap water.
- Nursing clinic evacuated due to sewage backup, operating at reduced capacity.
Kashechewan First Nation has declared a local state of emergency, prompting the evacuation of over 700 residents due to critical failures in its water and wastewater treatment plants. The community, located on the James Bay coast, is working with federal and provincial governments to evacuate its entire population of 2,300.
Recent events have exacerbated the crisis, including a gastrointestinal outbreak and a sewage backup that forced the evacuation of the community's nursing clinic on January 7th. This relocation has limited the clinic's capacity to 40 percent, hindering essential diagnostic services. Despite 'do not consume water' orders issued on January 4th, the exact cause of the outbreak remains unconfirmed.
Infrastructure repair efforts are actively underway, with replacement pumps installed and additional equipment being deployed. While initial evacuations sent residents to northern Ontario cities, further phases plan to relocate approximately 1,700 people to Niagara Falls. Kashechewan Chief Hosea Wesley has expressed frustration with the pace of the evacuation, calling the government response inadequate and requesting Canadian Armed Forces assistance for vulnerable members and water deliveries.
