Latest news with #SandyLakeFirstNation
National Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
Trad and glam swirl as RKS, Serena Ryder and Aysanabee rock folk fest
Pouncing and rolling around on stage with legs in the air, Rainbow Surprise Kitten clawed in International Cat Day a few hours early Thursday night with a legendary shake-it-up rock-out in the misty rain. Article content Rain and thunder! Or the fear of it, anyway, was the unofficial pre-opener for the 46 th annual Edmonton Folk Music Festival — tens of thousands of Gallagher Park hill bags heavier with assorted rubber gear and towels on a generally lovely cloudy day that did not encourage free-range beer chugging. More like under-blanket snuggling. Article content Article content Article content I even brought a plastic baggie and non-smudge pens for my 20 th century-style notepad! Article content Opening up at 6:36 p.m. after the festival blessing was the charming and spirited Aysanabee, 'Oji-Cree, Sucker Clan of the Sandy Lake First Nation' in answer to 'where ya from?' Article content Now based in Toronto, he mushroom-gathers prestige indie Juno wins and Polaris noms with his upbeat Elder-channelling, gravel-revving voice full of hope and trying to figure it all out. Relatable, singalong resistance. Article content The set opened with the recorded spoken word Interlude 9 of album Watin, named for the musician's grandfather, explaining words in their language, including 'Nosuk, nosuk magizokege means my grandchildren are growing up,' and 'Ebiisay ketizgo, that means heaven.' Article content The band introduced themselves playing the slow-rising Dream Catcher, the pounder Nomads, followed by the energetic Bringing the Fire. Article content Asking who'd seen them in 2023, Aysanabee waved left and right over the verdant rise of raincoat witnesses. Article content Article content 'We played over there, we played over there,' he said from the big stage under the 46 — a number of encouragement from the divine realm. 'Now we're playing here! Thanks for selling out Thursday — that's you!' Article content Impossible to ignore at Aysanabee's side was singer Lala Noel in her blood-orange-slice earrings, backing up his distinct voice with Dark Side of the Moon, OG Star Trek choral heights and this very infectious smile. Article content Miles Gibbons did a nice job on the looping drums, Dean Aivaliotis on keys, with Nick Tateishi playing guitar, all together through a dozen countries in the last year and change. Article content Uh oh — was that thunder? Nope, just a couple volunteers rolling plastic garbage bins along. Article content Leading in the mournful Without You off the new EP, Aysanabee spoke of his ever-present grandfather, 'who finished his journey last year. Article content 'When people close to you move on they kind of leave this space,' said the singer, hoping he can live up a certain sense of duty he feels to tradition.
CBC
12-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Sandy Lake repatriation efforts beginning Friday, First Nation says
Efforts to repatriate members of Sandy Lake First Nation are set to begin this Friday. The efforts could take up to two weeks to complete, according to a Facebook post by the First Nation's communications team. More than 2,000 members of the community were forced to evacuate last month as northwestern Ontario's largest wildfire, Red Lake 12, encroached on the First Nation. The fire has spread across 195,670 hectares as of Tuesday, according to Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services. Evacuees were airlifted by the Canadian Armed Forces to Thunder Bay, and then on to several host locations across Ontario, including Cornwall, Mississauga and Kapuskasing. The Red Lake 12 fire also forced an additional 885 members of the Deer Lake First Nation to evacuate to Toronto. Efforts to return them to Deer Lake began last Friday. Repatriation efforts commence Friday Sandy Lake First Nation said that that security and essential service providers will be the first to return to the community as repatriation efforts commence Friday evening. For the rest of the community, efforts to return home will likely happen in the reverse order from which community members were evacuated, with elders, infants and those with high risk medical needs returning in the later stages of the repatriation. The First Nation says that lists with flight arrangements will be prepared for each host location once further details are confirmed. Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services says growth in the blaze's western and northwestern areas has forced the department to remap the wildfire. Fires still burning Fire behaviour lowered over the weekend, as an estimated 25 to 35 millimetres of rain fell over Red Lake 12, said Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services in a release Wednesday. Despite 23 firefighting crews and 12 helicopters fighting the blaze's eastern and southern perimeters, officials said the fire is still not under control. In areas where the wildfire has slowed, crews have begun demobilizing equipment including pumps and hoses, it said. Red Lake 12 is one of 34 wildfires currently active across Northwestern of them are still not under control. As of Tuesday, four new fires were reported in the region, including Red Lake 57. Its burning approximately 71 kilometres west of Cat Lake First Nation and is not under control.
Global News
04-07-2025
- General
- Global News
Members of First Nation in northern Ontario to return home after wildfire evacuations
Residents of a First Nation in northern Ontario are set to begin returning home today after a wildfire threatened the community early last month and forced more than 2,000 people to evacuate. Sandy Lake First Nation says in a social media post that repatriation will start this evening, with security and essential service providers going first to help prepare for the arrival of other residents. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The provincial government says firefighting crews no longer need pumps and hoses in areas where the fire was sufficiently suppressed, although they continue to put out hot spots in southern and eastern sections of the fire today. Sandy Lake First Nation says its residents were evacuated to seven locations across the province, and it could take up to two weeks to get everyone home. National Defence sent military planes last month to airlift hundreds out of the First Nation as the fire doubled in size to almost 1,500 square kilometres. Story continues below advertisement The province says there are 44 active wildfires in northwest Ontario as of Thursday, with 15 of them out of control.
CTV News
15-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Wildfire near two Ontario First Nations ‘like a sleeping giant' for now, MPP says
Smoke from wildfires is shown at Sandy Lake First Nation, Ont., in this Saturday, June 7, 2025, handout photo. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout | Photo Credit: Destiny Rae) A provincial legislator says a massive wildfire that has forced the evacuation of two northern Ontario First Nations is like a 'sleeping giant' at the moment. Sol Mamakwa, the New Democrat representative for Kiiwetinoong, visited Sandy Lake First Nation on Thursday. Much of the community of 2,000 people has been forced to leave for different parts of Ontario because of the fire known as Red Lake 12. Ontario officials say the fire is more than 160,000 hectares in size and not under control. The same fire earlier forced the evacuation of Deer Lake First Nation, though fire rangers have now successfully created a fire break around the perimeter of the community. Mamakwa says about 200 people remain in Sandy Lake First Nation, along with the fire rangers. 'It's pretty much like a sleeping giant, the officials told me,' Mamakwa said. Fire rangers and community members are busy working around the clock to protect buildings, he said. They are setting up sprinkler systems around many buildings, including the community centre, as well as around large fuel tanks. 'This fire is just massive,' Mamakwa said after flying over it when he arrived Thursday around noon. There wasn't much smoke near the community when he landed, but by the time he left around 6 p.m., smoke began billowing again. Mamakwa has been asking several levels of government for years to invest in bigger and better runways in remote First Nations. The military flew in with massive CC-130 Hercules planes to help with the evacuation at Sandy Lake, but the aircraft 'could not take the full capacity because the airstrip is too small,' he said. Despite that, the 'organized chaos' of getting nearly 2,000 people out of the community was successful, he said. Wildfires have been raging across northern parts of Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Webequie First Nation east of Sandy Lake has also been evacuated due to a different fire that is about 11,000 hectares in size and is not under control. More than 10,000 people in Saskatchewan and 21,000 in Manitoba have been forced out of their communities because of the fires. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025. Liam Casey, The Canadian Press
Globe and Mail
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Massive wildfire near two Ontario First Nations is ‘like a sleeping giant,' MPP says
A provincial legislator says a massive wildfire that has forced the evacuation of two northern Ontario First Nations is like a 'sleeping giant' at the moment. Sol Mamakwa, the New Democrat representative for Kiiwetinoong, visited Sandy Lake First Nation on Thursday. Much of the community of 2,000 people has been forced to leave for different parts of Ontario because of the fire known as Red Lake 12. Ontario officials say the fire is more than 160,000 hectares in size and not under control. Smoke map: Squamish wildfire harms air quality in Whistler as warnings in place in B.C, Alta., Y.T. Wildfire evacuees from remote north faced with hard decisions about their pets The same fire earlier forced the evacuation of Deer Lake First Nation, though fire rangers have now successfully created a fire break around the perimeter of the community. Mamakwa says about 200 people remain in Sandy Lake First Nation, along with the fire rangers. 'It's pretty much like a sleeping giant, the officials told me,' Mamakwa said. Fire rangers and community members are busy working around the clock to protect buildings, he said. They are setting up sprinkler systems around many buildings, including the community centre, as well as around large fuel tanks. 'This fire is just massive,' Mamakwa said after flying over it when he arrived Thursday around noon. There wasn't much smoke near the community when he landed, but by the time he left around 6 p.m., smoke began billowing again. Mamakwa has been asking several levels of government for years to invest in bigger and better runways in remote First Nations. The military flew in with massive CC-130 Hercules planes to help with the evacuation at Sandy Lake, but the aircraft 'could not take the full capacity because the airstrip is too small,' he said. Despite that, the 'organized chaos' of getting nearly 2,000 people out of the community was successful, he said. Wildfires have been raging across northern parts of Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Webequie First Nation east of Sandy Lake has also been evacuated due to a different fire that is about 11,000 hectares in size and is not under control. More than 10,000 people in Saskatchewan and 21,000 in Manitoba have been forced out of their communities because of the fires.
