Kashechewan First Nation members evacuated 6 months ago await water testing results to return home
Members of the Kashechewan First Nation are awaiting water quality test results after a six-month evacuation due to a water treatment plant failure. If the water is deemed safe, the 1,700 evacuees may finally return home, though logistical challenges remain.
Why it matters
The situation highlights ongoing infrastructure and public health challenges facing Indigenous communities in Canada.
Officials with Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) are in the community collecting water samples after the local water system was successfully flushed with chlorine dioxide.
The Cree community near Ontario's James Bay coast has been in a state of emergency since Jan. 4 due to issues with the water treatment plant.
More than 60 people tested positive for the parasite cryptosporidium that can cause gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
Kashechewan evacuees face another delay in returning home as nurses now to leave northern Ontario First Nation
Tyson Wesley, the First Nation's executive director, said that after repairs were completed at the water treatment plant, flushing the system with chlorine dioxide was the final step.
Wesley said that process took longer than expected because the solution was also pumped through fire hydrants and people’s home plumbing to ensure any parasites still in the system were killed.
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