community leaders

Crews in Peguis First Nation ramp up flood protection in anticipation of more rain

Crews in Peguis First Nation ramp up flood protection in anticipation of more rain

With more rain expected this week, the flood fight in Peguis First Nation is taking on renewed urgency today, with crews working rapidly to build up dikes and sandbagging around homes. Water levels in the community have gone down in recent days, enough so that a tractor trailer was able to make a delivery to the local grocery store. But rain in the forecast has residents worried water levels will rise back up again.

Marten Falls First Nation declares state of emergency after shutdown of water treatment plant

Marten Falls First Nation declares state of emergency after shutdown of water treatment plant

A state of emergency has been declared in Marten Falls First Nation after the community's water treatment plant failed. Community members in the remote First Nation in northwestern Ontario, about 440 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, had been without water for two days when the declaration was announced on Wednesday. Marten Falls Chief Bruce Achneepineskum said community leaders are out of options to address the situation.

Former Neskantaga contractor accused of cutting corners in other First Nations

Former Neskantaga contractor accused of cutting corners in other First Nations

“They cut corners every day, every day,” said Justin Gee, vice-president of First Nations Engineering Services Ltd. Gee said he encountered these recurring problems while overseeing the work of a construction firm, Kingdom Construction Limited (KCL), building a water treatment plant 10 years ago in Wasauksing First Nation, along the eastern shore of Georgian Bay, about 250 kilometres north of Toronto. “You have to be on them every step of the way,” said Gee, who was the contract administrator on the project. “You can’t leave them on their own.”