Requesting support

A First Nation family home found burnt to the ground has sparked the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief to call on the provincial and federal governments to provide financial help for all evacuees.

A Sandy Lake First Nation family returned home last Sunday to find their home had burned to the ground. The family of four was evacuated because of forest fires last month. They returned to find that their home, and all of their possessions stored inside that couldn’t be taken because of the evacuation, had been destroyed.

But the home will not be replaced because of an already high demand for housing in the area.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy said the provincial and the federal governments should provide financial assistance for the evacuees who come home to nothing.

“I’m asking for help from whomever so we can assist this family and provide a home for them,” Beardy said in a phone interview with tbnewswatch.com Wednesday.

“The family that came home have absolutely nothing. If they can get some kind of support then at least they can have something. Even if a home was renovated for them, they wouldn’t be in a position to have any furnishings or whatever they might need for the home. They have absolutely nothing and there’s nowhere to turn to. “

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada covered most of the emergency costs during the evacuation, but Beardy said they should go one-step farther and assist evacuees coming home.

While helping that family is a priority, Beardy said there are bigger issues that the entire community is facing.

Area forest fires have consumed more than 600,000 hectares of land. Much of the area was traditional hunting grounds. Beardy said the fires have affected the habitat of the animals they depend on for their livelihood.

“The governments of Canada and Ontario must have a short-term plan in place to assist these families who have suffered a loss in food supplies and a long-term plan to place to determine how best to address the aftermath,” he said.

Beardy added that he was impressed how the province handled the crisis and how much everyone contributed.