Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) – Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler and Neskantaga First Nation Chief Chris Moonias have demanded a coordinated response to the State of Emergency declared by the remote community as immediate heath threats from the water system has forced the community to evacuate its members.

Indigenous Services Canada has refused to acknowledge the severity of the situation and classify it as a public health crisis despite the following facts:

• ongoing leaks depleting the water reservoir
• the water distribution system fully shut off from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily since October 8 to allow adequate time for the reservoir to replenish and prevent the pump from being overworked.
• after the system shut off for the day an oily sheen was found on the top of the water within the community’s reservoir.
• water distribution system will remain shut off until the substance can be identified and addressed. This has left the community without any running water.
• With the water being completely shut off, the reverse osmosis unit (the drinking water machine) is not functional
• The new water treatment plant cannot become operational until it passes a 14-day test run.
• The school is shut down because the plumbing in the school is not working properly due to constantly turning the water off and on in the community. Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler.

“In a remote community, a major infrastructure failure is a crisis, and even more so in the middle of a global pandemic. Community members are living in dehumanizing condition and cannot bathe or flush their toilets. This is a health emergency crisis, plain and simple. It is unacceptable that government officials refuse to declare this as an emergency. The people of Neskantaga need to be supported in every way possible, and we will do everything we can to help”.

Neskantaga has not had safe drinking water since 1995 – the longest running boil water advisory in Canada. A water treatment plant was constructed in 2016 but there have been numerous delays, equipment failures and related infrastructure failures. The system failed in 2019, and the long-standing boil water advisory was replaced with a Do Not Consume warning.

Indigenous Services Canada refused to evacuate the community.

Evacuation Status

• The community has initiated the first phase of an evacuation of their most vulnerable members.
  • 56 people were flown to Thunder Bay Tuesday evening and are lodging in local hotels.
  • 120 people are expected to arrive in Thunder Bay on Wednesday.

In 2016, Carolyn Bennet, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs promised to have the Neskantaga water system problems fixed by 2018.