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Canadian Indigenous wildfire evacuees seek refuge at Niagara Falls

Joseph Garry, aged 63, was forced to flee the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, or Pukatawagan in Manitoba's remote northern region, as wildfires spread. He took a helicopter from his Mathias Colomb Cree Nation reserve. He and other evacuees took three different government flights, before boarding a shuttle bus to reach Niagara Falls, Canada’s most popular tourist attraction, some 2,000 km from his home. Since the beginning of May, scores of wildfires have spread across Canada, forcing more than 35,000 people to flee in three provinces. Smoke has also been spreading into the United States and disrupting crude and mining production.

The indigenous communities were particularly hard hit. First Nations make up less than 5% of Canada’s population but they are the ones most affected by wildfires this year. Manitoba is battling its largest ever fire evacuation effort. The province is running out of room for the early evacuees, who took refuge in Winnipeg's community and sports centers. Officials are now forced to look to other places, such as Ontario's Niagara Falls which has plenty of hotels.

According to Jo Zambito of the Niagara Falls Fire Department, around 2,000 evacuees are currently staying in four Niagara Falls hotels.

Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said that while the city was proud to assist fellow Canadians in a time of crisis, the federal and province governments should consider other accommodations as the peak tourist season nears. In Manitoba, indigenous leaders have criticised both the federal and provincial governments over inadequate communication and delays delivering resources requested during the wildfire crises. Meanwhile, residents of Pukatawagan recounted an incredibly chaotic and terrifying evacuation. Residents shared videos that showed a flurry of helicopters, both military and civilian, buzzing over the remote community with a population of about 3,000. They landed on the school's field, as flames and thick smoke began to engulf the area.

A pilot informed Garry, and the 100 other passengers waiting to board the plane that the fire was just half a mile away and being pushed by the wind. "To be honest, it's... It's scary. It's scary. Garry, who is being housed by the federal government in a hotel, was in tears as he spoke. Garry, who is a manager of the local airfield left behind all of his belongings except for a few pairs of clothes and was briefly separated with two of his daughters. The 50 members of his extended family were reunited at Niagara Falls.

Vanessa Hart, a 43-year-old mother who stayed at home in Pukatawagan and was evacuated to Niagara Falls said that, despite the repeated pleas of their chief and council members, help didn't arrive for another three to four days. She believes that a quicker evacuation would have avoided significant distress.

Hart stated, "They didn't help immediately."

Indigenous Services Canada (which managed the evacuation) said that emergency response was a shared responsibility, and in general, first response falls to local authorities.

The agency released a statement saying that "the Government of Canada works alongside First Nation partners as well as Provincial and Territorial counterparts and continues to closely observe the rapidly evolving fire situation across the nation." Manitoba's government stated in an email that smokey conditions near Pukatawagan prevented water bombers to provide vital air support early in the emergency response.

The report added that "Air support was used in the north wherever and whenever possible."

The date that evacuees from Niagara Falls will be able to return to their homes is not certain and may depend on the time it takes to restore rail and plane access - this could take up to two months.

Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, National chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said that wildfire response in First Nations Communities has been "pretty chaos". She called for increased investment in basic infrastructure, such as fire trucks and hydrants.

"We need better coordination." "We've been asking it for decades," said she.

(source: Reuters)