Northern Ontario is on fire, and it’s worse than anything we’ve seen before. We’re talking over 7,250 square kilometres burned already. Some of these fires are ripping through 40 kilometres of forest in a single day. That’s the kind of speed you’d expect out in BC or Alberta, not northern Ontario. 13 communities have had to evacuate, and 12 of them are First Nations. We’re talking somewhere between 1,800 and 2,182 people displaced, shipped off to hotels in Thunder Bay, Toronto, Sudbury, and Niagara Falls. In Namaygoosisagagun, also known as Collins First Nation, people had less than an hour to flee, literally jumping into boats as a wall of smoke and flame closed in behind them. Whitewater Lake First Nation, way up north of Thunder Bay, has been devastated too. In Neskantaga, evacuation efforts got delayed because the plane meant to fly people out had mechanical problems. Scientists are pointing to brutal heat, long-term drought, and decades of fire suppression that let dead wood pile up in the forest. Add in a lot of conifer trees, which burn more easily than birch or aspen, and you’ve basically got a tinderbox. First Nations leaders are furious, saying they got no warning, no Alert Ready notifications, before disaster hit their communities. They’re also pointing to jurisdictional red tape slowing down emergency help. One community, Namaygoosisagagun, is dealing with the issue that the federal government doesn’t even officially recognize them as a First Nation, which is making it harder for them to get aid. Premier Doug Ford and his government say they’re doing everything they can and that they’re in regular contact with First Nations leadership. However, Chiefs aren’t buying it and calling for a full public inquiry into how the Ministry of Natural Resources handled this. Anishinabek Nation Grand Chief Linda Debassige said if her community had waited for an official evacuation order, they’d be recovering bodies right now instead of people. August is shaping up hotter and drier than normal. Experts say the only real long-term fix is cutting greenhouse gas emissions, alongside bringing back Indigenous cultural burning practices and expanding programs like FireSmart to help communities protect themselves. If this episode hit you hard, do us a favour: like it, share it, and hit subscribe. If you want to help keep this running, consider grabbing a paid subscription or tossing a few bucks on Buy Me a Coffee. Every bit helps us keep bringing you the stories that matter. Thanks. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit canadianreturnee.substack.com/subscribe
