'Nobody can predict' flooding risk, but Kashechewan moves to full evacuation
First Nation evacuates every spring as a precaution during break-up of river ice
A full evacuation of Kashechewan is now underway, as the James Bay community is facing its annual threat of flooding.
So far, 1,500 people have been flown out to towns and cities in the south including Kapuskasing and Timmins.
And now, military transport planes are starting to carry the remaining 280 out of Kashechewan to Hearst and Wawa.
"We're going not to take any chances," says Brandon Spence, the fire chief in Kashechewan and the evacuation coordinator.
"As MNR (the Ministry of Natural Resources) reported, we're on extremely high risk of flooding, so we're not going to take any chances."
Spence says in a few days, there will only be a handful of emergency personnel left behind in the community. He is also being evacuated in the coming days and will coordinate operations from Timmins.
Still, he says, this is all just a precaution, with no guarantee the community will be flooded.
"Yeah, nobody can predict what's to happen, when, where and how. Can't even guess, I don't want to even guess," says Spence.
In a statement, Martine Stevens with Indigenous Services Canada, says it's anticipated a total of 1,600 residents will leave the community.
"The sudden melting of ice at the rivers' headwater near Kapuskasing led to a sudden rise in water over the ice," she said.
"This has caused the ice to fracture and move downriver, leading to jams and blockages. This accelerated the precautionary evacuation becoming a formal evacuation compared to previous years."
She added both Kashechewan and Fort Albany receive $50,000 in annual funding for staff to help prepare before any evacuation.
"We will continue to work in partnership to identify permanent flood mitigation options, including improving essential physical infrastructure," she said.