Still no plans for James Bay Coast flooding evacuees during pandemic, MPP says

TheCOVID-19 pandemic is putting a new perspective on the flooding and evacuationfrom James Bay Coast communities every year. While evacuations have become a grim reality for the people living there, many are now saying they don't want to leave the community for fear of moving somewhere where there's potential to become sick with COVID-19.

Mushkegowuk James Bay NDP MPP Guy Bourgouin says the other factor is host communities that would usually take in evacuees are now stretched very thin, in terms of resources, as a result of the pandemic.

"They've said thatno, they cannot take these communities at this time."

Bourgouinsaid coastal communities, like Kashechewan,are faced withdifficult decisions.

"So there's approximately half of the population (1,000) thatwill be going on the land for a period of time ... they could be out on the land for quite a bit," he said.

"Thatraises huge concerns because ... they'll be flown in by helicopter, dropped and [told] 'once you're there you cannot be flown back in.' What happensifthere is an accident?What happens is they run out of food?All these question needs to be answered. And what about the other thousand people the elderly and the people that are vulnerable while they're waiting to find out where they're going to be evacuated."

Emergency Management Ontario is reportedly trying to find either universities, colleges or communityhotel rooms for evacuees, Bourgouin noted. But those plans are still up in the air.

"We've been for months after this government (municipal, provincial and federal)to put a plan together for evacuation because this is a different situation," he said, referring to himself and other northern MPs and MPPs.

"And every time that we spoke to the minister and the provincial minister [we weretold] 'there is a plan. And we've got this under control.' We're very close to being evacuated and there's still no plan."

Other communities along theJames Bay coast are doing "the best they can" deal with the flow of people during thepandemic. But with basic issues like a lack ofadequate housing still a problem, the challenge becomes tougher.

"There's homes that have multiple generations [in them],"Bourgouin said.

"We're talking about homes that have been built for six and there's 12 people living in them. So if COVID reachesthese communitiesup north, it'll be devastating. They won't be able to isolate people and that is a big concern. When it comes to resources, revenue funding and equipment, well they're the last to be considered."