According to the latest government figures, 12,693 people are currently being evacuated in Quebec. Almost 15% of them come from Aboriginal communities. This number does not include the new evacuations planned in Obedjivan, and some communities expect more of their members to be evacuated.
Waswanipi leader Irene Neeposh announced that people with respiratory problems, disabilities, mental health problems, heart conditions or special needs, among others, are required to evacuate the Cree community.
The evacuation is in the direction of Quebec City. According to the government, 300 people will be evacuated.
The chief asked the members of her community to remain calm.
The phone lines with Waswanipi no longer work.
Late yesterday afternoon, it was another Cree community, Oujé-Bougoumou, that first ordered the evacuation of vulnerable people before conducting a full evacuation shortly thereafter.
Nearly 800 people have been evacuated from the community, according to Quebec. After a tiring overnight journey, they arrived at Roberval and Saguenay. Some families have found refuge in Mistissini.
native community | Number of evacuated people |
|---|---|
Kitcisakik | 250 |
Lac Simon | 150 |
Barrier Lake | 206 |
opitciwan | 51 |
Ouje Bougoumou | 795 |
Waswanipi | 300 |
In Abitibi, the Anishnabe parish of Kitcisakik, located south of Val-d’Or in La Vérendrye Game Reserve, is still empty. The approximately 250 members who have been evacuated since the weekend are still in Val-d’Or and the surrounding area.
Chef Régis Penosway is still not planning a return due to the closely monitored air quality.
Clouds of smoke are not good for health and the air quality is really not good. There are currently no plans to return, he said. The CISSS de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue also indicates that air quality is very poor in Kitcisakik and Lac-Simon and is generally deteriorating in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
Launch of the widget. Skip widget?
end of the widget. Back to the top of the widget?
In Lac-Simon, the evacuation order was lifted Monday night and members began returning to the community. Quebec estimates 150 people are still being evacuated, but Lac Simon chief Lucien Wabanonik estimates only about half of the 2,000 members have returned to their homes.
On Thursday morning, shuttles will begin repatriating around 200 people staying at the Polyvalente Le Carrefour in Val-d’Or. But the boss is urging vulnerable people to stay out of the community until Friday.
206 evacuations have been recorded for Lac Barrière, Quebec. The chief stated that almost the entire community (approx. 700 inhabitants) had been evacuated. The vast majority takes place in hotels or with family.
For their part, the Atikamekw community of Opitciwan is evacuating 200 more people on a voluntary basis. Vulnerable people, especially women and children, are welcomed by the Innu community of Mashteuiatsh at Lac-Saint-Jean. Buses were chartered to evacuate members of the community north of La Tuque.
Opitciwan had already started evacuating vulnerable people. Chief Jean-Claude Mequish estimated that more than 75 people had already been evacuated.
On Tuesday, around 300 people from Opitciwan left their community of around 2,500 members on their own.
Legault doesn’t lead our community, says Mistissini boss
Quebec Premier François Legault this morning raised the possibility of an impending evacuation of the Cree community of Mistissini. The public safety coordinator and community communications manager quickly denied this information to Indigenous Spaces, saying they remain on alert.
In a statement posted to Facebook in Cree and then in English, Mistissini boss Michael Petawabano wanted to reassure members of his community, northeast of Chibougamau.
“Legault does not lead our community. The community here is managed by the leaders, we make the decisions. We are safe, there is no danger. »
– A quote from Michael Petawabano, boss of Mistissini
Still, he said that if the need arose, he would make quiet plans for the weak. Don’t panic, he repeated.
The situation is being closely monitored in cooperation with SOPFEU.
In addition, the 9th edition of the Pow-wow Abitibiwinni in Pikogan has been cancelled. Due to the circumstances, it is our duty to prioritize the safety and welfare of all spectators, singers, dancers and volunteers. The decision is not easy to make, the powwow committee wrote in a statement.
The Abitibiwinni Pow-wow was supposed to take place on June 10th and 11th.