OTTAWA — A northern Ontario First Nation signed an agreement on Thursday with the federal and provincial government that lays out a plan to move a reserve threatened every year by flood waters.
Members of the Kashechewan First Nation, north of Fort Albany, Ont., have had to flee repeatedly because of flooding and infrastructure problems. Last month when a state of emergency forced more than 2,500 members to fly to other locations across the province.
The First Nation has been asking for years to be relocated to higher ground.
In front of 300 community members in Toronto, the federal and provincial governments signed an agreement with the First Nation that commits to moving the reserve.
“Canada, Ontario, and Kashechewan First Nation have entered into this agreement in good faith, and in the spirit of reconciliation, co-operation, and mutual respect,” the agreement says.
“The primary objective of the community planning and development process is to plan for the relocation of Kashechewan to higher ground.”
There is now a concrete plan in place to guide the work to come, said Assembly of First Nations Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald.
“This was something that was missing from the last agreement,” she said.
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See Also:
(1) Government to review flood mitigation says Ford
(2) ‘Self-declared’ Indigenous inmates continue to make a mockery of our prison system
(3) #RingOfFire (#RoF) News – May 10, 2019
(4) Joint police task force cracks down on gang activity in northern Ontario
