Thousands of sandbags distributed to First Nations on flood watch

Crews from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry [MNRF] don't have many forest fires to fight in northwestern Ontario right now but they've still been busy.

High water levels in the Kenora and Fort Frances districts continue to threaten communities, and a number ofFirst Nations have declared states of emergency. The MNRFhas distributedabout 91,000 sandbags to help residents protect themselvesagainst flooding.

About 10,000 of those have gone to Wabaseemoong First Nation, approximately 80 km northwest of Kenora. Chief John Paishktold CBC News he is thankful for the help.

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He said a ministry crew workedwith 30 to 40 community members over the weekend to place thesandbags around pumphouses and manholes.Those structures are critical, Paishk said, because if floodwaters reached them, the First Nation's entire water system would be at risk.

"What we were told is that if ... it's contaminated [it] might be the whole summer long before we would have water," he said.

Paishk said volunteers are watchingthe sandbagged areas 24 hours a day, and have called him in the middle of the night when waters have approached worrisome levels.

"We can't take any chances," he said.

Paishk is hoping the flood danger will end on Wednesday, when Environment Canada is forecasting the rainy weather will end.