Annual flooding is forcing hundreds of people from the Kashechewan First Nation to be evacuated from the James Bay community.
A statement from Indigenous Services Canada says that since evacuations began on April 17, communities members have been asked to choose whether they would like to be moved to near-by on-land areas, or other Ontario communities some 400 kilometres south.
It says that 467 people have chosen to be evacuated to on-land areas near the community on the north shore of James Bay’s Albany River, while others have been moved to Timmins, Cochrane or Kapuskasing.
Kashechewan First Nation regularly faces serious annual flooding.
A state of emergency was declared for the community on April 3.
Indigenous Services Canada, Ontario and Kashechewan First Nation in 2019 reached a framework agreement on permanently relocating the community to higher ground, but those plans are still being finalized.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2023.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
