Neskantaga begins evacuations due to closed nursing station

NESKANTAGA — The forced closure of Neskantaga’s nursing station due to concerns over a strong smell of fuel has prompted community leadership to begin evacuations.

Approximately 30 elderly community members were scheduled to be on a first flight from the remote First Nation, located about 430 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay on Wednesday, a representative of Matawa First Nations told Newswatch. They will be in Thunder Bay during their time away from their home community.

Neskantaga declared a state of emergency on Sunday when staff, responding to water that had gotten into the basement, were overwhelmed with the smell of fuel prompting the station’s closure. Its source has yet to be determined.

In a media release issued Wednesday, the First Nation said in total, 131 vulnerable residents and their indoor pets will be leaving the community. Indigenous Services Canada supported the move, the release said.

“Our vulnerable people require full and immediate access to health services that, unfortunately, (are) not available in Neskantaga First Nation at the moment,” Chief Gary Quisses was quoted as saying in the release. “We are not willing to put any high-risk people in a compromising position due the nursing station being closed.”

“We acknowledge the support of Indigenous Services Canada in responding to the seriousness of this crisis and we hope that some other logistical challenges we are experiencing with other partners, like the City of Thunder Bay will be resolved.”

Community leadership spoke with government officials on Tuesday, the release continued, with the goal of setting up a proper temporary nursing station until the existing building is deemed safe. Currently, a makeshift examination room at a lodging facility in Neskantaga without most of the health centre’s resources is all that’s available.

The release said once a temporary facility is set up, including the supplying of medical equipment, evacuees can begin to return home.

A “comprehensive assessment” of the nursing station building has begun, according to officials. “Community members and nursing station staff will only return after remediation is completed and fuel contamination/air quality testing confirms that the building no longer possesses any health risk to them,” the release said.