Power restored to 6 northwestern Ontario First Nations after 4-day outages due to wildfires
Hydro poles were damaged along Wataynikaneyap Power line
Power has been restored to half a dozen First Nations in northwestern Ontario after a series of hydro poles along the Wataynikaneyap Power line were damaged by wildfires on Saturday.
Wataynikaneyap Power said the restoration was completed as of 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
"Pikangikum, North Spirit Lake and Keewaywin First Nations are reconnected to grid power," Tuesday night's update said.
"Deer Lake, Sandy Lake, and Poplar Hill First Nations have their assets energized to allow a reconnection to the grid from their diesel generator back-ups. Transfer to grid power will be co-ordinated with Hydro One Remote Communities Inc."
The outages created a number of challenges in the communities, resulting in food spoilage, overheating in people's homes, and shortages of food, fuel and other essential supplies, as Pikangikum First Nation's chief told CBC News.
WATCH | Pikangikum First Nation's chief on power outage
Media Video | Pikangikum's chief speaks out on Day 4 of community-wide power outage.
Caption: Pikangikum First Nation has been without power for four days after wildfires damaged six hydro poles in northwestern Ontario, causing outages in as many First Nations. Here's the latest from Chief Paddy Peters about what the remote Ojibway community is going through.
Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages.
However, surrounding wildfires still pose threats to a number of communities in the region. Pikangikum is continuing to evacuate its most vulnerable members to Thunder Bay and Sioux Lookout due to Red Lake 62, a 31,000-hectare, out-of-control blaze just seven kilometres away.
Meanwhile, North Spirit Lake sent its at-risk members to Toronto because of Red Lake 40, which is more than 8,700 hectares large and remains not under control.
A spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) provided an emailed statement to CBC News on Tuesday evening.
"Indigenous Services Canada continues to work in close collaboration with all partners to support evacuation operations and respond to emergency needs as the situation evolves," said Anispiragas Piragasanathar.
"Through the Emergency Management Assistance Program (EMAP), ISC reimburses all eligible costs related to wildfire response and recovery, including evacuation support and culturally-sensitive services such as mental health care, traditional foods, language interpretation, and child care."
Elsewhere, a 32,000-hectare fire known as Red Lake 67 prompted self-evacuations in McDowell Lake First Nation. East of Poplar Hill, the Red Lake 72 fire has grown to 4,900 hectares.
The region's largest wildfire, Red Lake 12, continues to be observed at 195,000 hectares.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
TV show celebrates bond between children and service animals
Article content Not all heroes wear capes — some of them have hoofs, snouts, feathers and manes. Service animals take the spotlight in the docuseries Collar of Duty Kids, which shows how they make a difference for children with disabilities. Article content A spinoff of Collar of Duty, it airs Mondays on AMI-tv and streams on AMI+. Executive producer Laura Lillie spoke about the series. Article content Q: How would you describe the bond between animals and children? Article content Article content A: It's symbiotic. When adults give a child a chore like setting a table, it's quite authoritarian. But when it's their animal bestie — who is literally opening doors for them or bringing them joy — it's more of an exchange between equals. The animals then gently reflect the child's potential for greatness back to them. Article content Q: What did you learn about lesser-known service animals, like chickens? Article content A: Emotional support chickens were a surprise — especially since they were for a girl with Type 1 diabetes. But when you experience the story, it makes sense. We also feature a girl in New Brunswick who has ADHD and has found confidence and purpose through her birds — chickens, ducks and the most affectionate and cuddly turkey I've ever witnessed. Article content Q: What story impacted you the most? Article content A: A trans teen on the East Coast might be our most important story. When I think about how dark it can get for some young people because of bullying and alienation, nothing is more important than finding a lifeline. For this teen, it was goats — and one goat in particular. This goat had also been bullied by other goats. And these two kids, pun intended, found each other. Article content Article content Q: What's the biggest challenge in the animal service field? Article content A: Service animals are skill based, whereas emotional support or therapy animals are more about offering comfort and companionship. Certified service animals are trained to detect low blood sugar in people with diabetes, respond to seizure activity, or open doors, remove clothing, and bark for help for people with mobility challenges. The biggest challenge I see are claims that an animal has a service designation when it doesn't. Article content
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
Flight attendant sues Delta for US$75M over upside-down plane crash in Toronto
Article content The crash happened when the Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft bounced and rolled on landing at the Toronto airport, ending up on its roof. A wing was ripped off and a fire broke out. All 80 passengers and crew survived, although more than 20 people were taken to hospital. Article content The lawsuit says Miles was rendered unconscious while hanging upside down from her seatbelt after the plane came to a stop. When she awoke she 'found herself soaked in jet fuel and surrounded by smoke, putting her at grave risk for chemical burns, asphyxiation, and death.' Article content The suit says she suffered 'severe and permanent injuries, including … fractured left shoulder/scapula, traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness, post-concussion syndrome with headaches, dizziness, and other cognitive difficulties, bilateral knee injuries, back injuries, exposure to jet fuel and toxic fumes, and psychological trauma including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.' Article content In April, Miles was one of four recipients of the C.B. Lansing Memorial Award, given by the Association of Flight Attendants 'to an AFA member who displays heroism beyond the call of duty in aviation.' The award was established in memory of Clarabelle Lansing, a flight attendant who was killed in 1988 when the flight on which she was working suffered an explosive decompression over Hawaii. Article content The organization notes that the award is 'the highest honor a member may bestow upon a fellow member.' It was given to Hollie Gallagher and Rebecca Palazzola, the flight attendants working on the downed aircraft, and to Miles and Alita Parker, 'deadheading Endeavor flying partners who assisted.' Article content Article content A preliminary report by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada released in March does not disclose a specific cause for the crash, but it does mention that two additional airline employees who were on the flight as passengers helped evacuate the rear of the cabin. Article content Madeline Sinkovich, one of Miles' lawyers, told the Post: 'Our complaint alleges that basic safeguards, training, and evacuation procedures failed — and that corporate decisions put cost and schedule ahead of safety. The case proceeds under the Montreal Convention, which holds carriers liable for passenger injuries arising from onboard accidents. Ms. Miles continues to recover from significant injuries; we respect the Transportation Safety Board of Canada's important work and will pursue full accountability in court.' Article content The final report by the Transportation Safety Board is expected next year. According to the CBC, there are at least 16 additional lawsuits that have been filed by passengers related to the incident. Article content
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Trump might not trust the jobs data, but Wall Street and economists do
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
