Inquest Uncovers Systemic Racism's Role in Preventable Fungal Outbreak Deaths in Remote First Nation

In November 2025, a tragic outbreak of a fungal lung disease claimed the lives of five people in the remote Constance Lake First Nation in northern Ontario. An inquest into these deaths has now uncovered the role of systemic racism and inadequate healthcare access in this preventable tragedy.

During the closing statements, lawyers for the victims' families argued that the manner of death should be classified as "undetermined" rather than "natural." They pointed to the community's lack of direct access to well-equipped medical facilities, as well as the failure of doctors to identify the blastomycosis infection in time, despite many residents seeking treatment for pneumonia-like symptoms.

The lawyers also highlighted the provincial air ambulance service's inability to meet its own policy of transporting priority patients within a four-hour window, which they say contributed to the deaths. They are now calling for a range of recommendations to improve healthcare services in Constance Lake, including funding for Indigenous health navigators and a permanent medical presence in the community.

While the lawyer for Indigenous Services Canada opposed some of these recommendations, the coroner's office has vowed to chart a "road to reconciliation" and address the systemic barriers that prevented timely information-sharing and treatment. The inquest jury is now tasked with reviewing the evidence and proposed recommendations to prevent similar tragedies in the future.