KASHECHEWAN FIRST NATION, Ont. — A senior Canadian Army officer says the risk of flooding for several First Nation communities on the Hudson Bay and James Bay coasts has greatly diminished.
"At this time it appears that all the rivers on the coasts are at low risk of flooding," said Major Charles Ohike, a company commander with the 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group which commands Rangers across Ontario's far north.
Ohike based his conclusion on a combination of the results of river monitoring that Rangers have done in their communities and reports from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
Several communities, including Kashechewan, Attawapiskat and Fort Albany have had to be evacuated in recent years because of flooding during the spring breakup.
Earlier this spring, the province approached communities including Thunder Bay about the possibility of hosting evacuees.
At the time, the city said it didn't have the capacity because it was already strained to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because of the pandemic, about 160 Canadian Rangers are on full-time active service in 30 remote Indigenous communities across northern Ontario.
The part-time army reservists are providing a range of supports for their Cree, Oji-Cree and Ojibway communities.
