Over 1,000 evacuees from Kashechewan First Nation, who spent eight months in hotels in Niagara Falls due to a health crisis in their northern Ontario community, have made their way back home.
For some residents, like Rebecca Friday, the departure from Niagara Falls carried mixed emotions: there was happiness in returning to a place where they feel a deep connection to nature, but also a sense of loss for the individuals who supported them during their stay.
“There was a blend of joy and sadness,” the elder shared with CBC News on Sunday. “I believe everyone was eager to return home. [However], we left behind people who looked after us.”
The final group of Kashechewan residents (with a few remaining in Niagara for health reasons) returned home on Sunday, according to Kashechewan executive director Tyson Wesley.
Culture shock
In January, a malfunction at the community’s water treatment facility led to a cryptosporidium outbreak that caused illness among residents, prompting Chief Hosea Wesley to declare a state of emergency.
Upon arriving in Niagara Falls, many experienced a cultural shock, encountering a city dominated by concrete, Friday noted.
“We are always surrounded by grass,” she explained. “Concrete is absent in our community. As soon as we step outside, there’s grass all around, which connects us more to the earth.”
“For many who had never left their community before, it was quite shocking.”
This shock was somewhat mitigated by the generosity of Niagara Falls residents. Chief Wesley expressed his gratitude in a letter to Niagara Falls mayor Jim Diodati, which Diodati shared at the recent council meeting on August 11.
“During our time there, our community members were met with kindness, generosity, compassion, and respect from many individuals across [the] Niagara Region,” the chief stated.
“We are immensely grateful for the warm reception extended to our families, elders, youth, and community members. Your support provided comfort and a sense of belonging during what was a challenging period for us.”
Tyson Wesley remarked that returning home was particularly emotional, as about ten members of his community passed away in Niagara before they could return.
While the Kashechewan water treatment plant is back in operation, the fact that some residents have opted to buy purification systems for their homes reflects the lingering effects of the crisis, he noted.
“People remain apprehensive,” he stated. “I am confident the water is safe [but] it will take a long time for them to trust it again.”
Controversial comments on homelessness
The evacuees’ time in Niagara Falls was not without its tensions.
Some members of the Kashechewan community expressed outrage over remarks made in June by former city chief administrative officer Ken Todd, who was appointed last fall to lead a new homelessness strategy for the city. He suggested during a Niagara Falls city council meeting that some residents might have mistakenly believed that the evacuees staying in tourism district hotels were homeless individuals.
This incident led Mayor Diodati to apologize to over 100 Kashechewan community members who marched to city hall in July.
Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati listens as Kashechewan First Nation Chief Hosea Wesley speaks on the steps of Niagara Falls city hall on July 3. Wesley expressed gratitude in a letter to residents for the kindness and compassion shown to his people. (Paul Forsyth/CBC)
Despite the controversy, Chief Wesley emphasized in his recent letter that his community appreciates the “wonderful hospitality” received in Niagara Falls.
“The kindness extended to us will always be remembered,” he remarked.
The hospitality was such that Kashechewan children, who initially were reluctant to be in Niagara Falls, found it difficult to leave by the end of their stay, as Chief Wesley had shared with Diodati.
“They truly enjoyed their time here,” Diodati stated during an August council meeting.
Friday expressed that the opportunity to finally return home was moving for many former evacuees.
“I felt emotional just landing in my home community,” she reflected.
With the community still facing frequent evacuations due to spring flooding, Tyson Wesley is hopeful that both the provincial and federal governments will finally take action to relocate the community to safer ground.
“The government possesses the necessary resources and authority to do what is right,” he asserted.