Neskantaga First Nation declares state of emergency after sewage flood

Neskantaga First Nation, a fly-in community located approximately 425 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, has declared a state of emergency following a sewage flood at its only nursing station. The community's chief, Gary Quisess, stated that the incident was caused by human error after a contractor damaged the septic system.

This marks the second evacuation for the community this summer, occurring just days after residents returned from a previous evacuation caused by wildfires. Approximately 258 community members have been displaced and are currently staying in crowded hotel rooms in Toronto.

Chief Quisess called for federal government intervention to address the situation and criticized the use of contractors who take shortcuts. He emphasized that the community's treaty and inherent rights must be respected to ensure residents can return home safely.