CAT LAKE FIRST NATION — Thunder Bay will be hosting more than 80 people from Cat Lake First Nation who are being evacuated from the remote community because of a lack of available health-care services.
A fire destroyed the community's only nursing station last weekend.
A total of 82 individuals are being brought to the city to receive more acute levels of care for issues such as heart conditions, autoimmune deficiencies, cancer and other ailments.
Cat Lake First Nation Chief Russell Wesley estimates that evacuees will stay in Thunder Bay for at least 10 days -- until an emergency nursing station can be set up in the community.
"We're hoping to get it over the winter road in the next couple of days."
Wesley said an addictions healing centre was poised to open soon but will pivot to instead provide health-care services until a new facility can be built sometime next year.
"I think the technicians have already sourced the modular -- and then the engineers have designed the water, the electrical, and all of that stuff," Wesley said about the site of the temporary nursing station being built in the community if the winter road cooperates.
He's estimating that it will be set up in the next 10 to 14 days, weather-dependent.
Thunder Bay's acting fire Chief Dave Paxton said evacuees will be allowed an escort while they are in the city.
"Once we receive them and do a health check on them to determine what support and different needs they have as an individual, then we'll set up those processes."
Paxton said there will be daily meetings with the chief and council from Cat Lake.
"I believe it will be the chief and council of Cat Lake that will determine the progress back home, including the circumstances that led to evacuating the community members.
"Once they're comfortable that they can support these members back home, they will do everything they can to expedite getting them back home."
