THUNDER BAY - The city is preparing to receive 300 Kashechewan First Nation evacuees as early as this weekend.
A media release was issued late Friday afternoon, stating the evacuees could begin arriving on Sunday as a result of the James Bay area community declaring a state of emergency due to the potential for flooding.
The city's municipal emergency control group met earlier Friday to begin preparations.
“We have a long history of stepping up to help our neighbours from the north,” mayor Keith Hobbs said in a statement. “We are looking forward to welcoming our guests and assisting them in their time of need.”
Accepting the evacuees is a coordinated effort with partnership from organizations such as the Canadian Red Cross, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Community Care Access Centre, Local Health Integration Network and the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Ontario.
The city is working with emergency management officials to monitor the situation and planning remains ongoing.
A full cost recovery agreement is in place between the city and the federal government.
The need for Kashechewan residents to seek temporary shelter in Thunder Bay as a result of flooding is nothing new.
The city accepted nearly 600 evacuees in 2014 as well as about 150 in 2013.
