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28 Apr 08
Evacuation Resumes for James Bay reserves
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Flood Evacuees Arrive (VIDEO)
Article / Video Link
If you look closely in the video, you can see the Air Force is using the C-130 Hercules aircraft to aid in the evacuation of First Nations citizens from flood waters in the James Bay area. I'm currently living in the Stratford area until I'm out west for the summer. Quite a sight seeing a C-130 landing at CMN4. Kudos to our Air personnel for their help in the evacuation.
Evacuation Resumes for James Bay reserves
Article Link
Colin Perkel
The Canadian Press
A mass airlift of flood-threatened First Nations in communities on the shore of James Bay resumed yesterday, one day after rain, fog and snow scuttled complex evacuation plans.
About 1,100 people remained in Kashechewan after several successful evacuations of about 130 of the most vulnerable residents, the chief of the beleaguered community said in a phone interview late in the day.
"It progressed smoothly with small delays here and there, but everything went well," said Chief Jonathon Solomon.
"We're moving to the general evacuation."
More than a dozen aircraft – civilian and military – were being pressed into service (Emphasis added), and Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl said the government was monitoring the situation.
"The priority of all partners is to ensure that community members are evacuated quickly and safely," said Strahl in a statement, adding that Defence Minister Peter MacKay had ordered Canadian military planes to help with evacuations.
Plans for the airlift were made because the rapidly rising Albany River was threatening to flood the low-lying communities.
Large blocks of ice on the river had also damaged protective dikes in Fort Albany, increasing the risk to that community and to nearby Kashechewan, an already flood-prone area.
Strahl also said he's encouraged that it appears the dike in Kashechewan – which he says Ottawa has invested $3.5 million into since 2006 – appears to be doing its job.
Despite some initial optimism, water levels remained high yesterday morning. "They have not receded and the ice has not broken up on our side of the community," Solomon said.
Earlier yesterday, Patrice Cloutier of the Ministry of Public Safety said the weather had improved sufficiently to allow 97 people to be flown from Fort Albany to Moosonee, en route to Kapuskasing.
Those taken from Kashechewan in yesterday's airlift were flown to Greenstone, Ont.
About 250 residents of Kashechewan were evacuated Friday, but only 47 got out Saturday before worsening weather conditions grounded the planes.
That left about 1,800 people in Kashechewan and Fort Albany anxiously awaiting their turn.
Residents were being airlifted to several host communities across the north of the province, as well to Stratford in the south.
This is the fourth flood-driven evacuation of Kashechewan since 2004, but the first time Fort Albany has been threatened in this way.
Flood Evacuees Arrive (VIDEO)
Article / Video Link
The first of up to a thousand evacuees from Northern Ontario have arrived in Stratford today.
They've been displaced because of flooding near their communities of Kashechewan and Fort Albany.
Sarah Mcgrath has more on the the last minute preperations of this massive evacuation.
If you look closely in the video, you can see the Air Force is using the C-130 Hercules aircraft to aid in the evacuation of First Nations citizens from flood waters in the James Bay area. I'm currently living in the Stratford area until I'm out west for the summer. Quite a sight seeing a C-130 landing at CMN4. Kudos to our Air personnel for their help in the evacuation.