Wildfire-related power outages have now hit 6 First Nations in northwestern Ontario

Pekinjikam chief: Government should have warned me about the fires sooner

People in the Pekinjikam community in northwestern Ontario have been forced to turn on their headlights to escape the pitch darkness after three days without power.

The remote Ojibwe community, along with five other communities — Deer Lake, Sandy Lake, Poplar Hill, North Spirit Lake and Kiwiwin — are experiencing power outages. Community chief Paddy Peters said the fires in the area have knocked down six utility poles along the Watainikanip transmission line, causing a chain of outages in the six communities.

“People are losing their food. We need fresh food, baby formula, diapers and electricity in the community,” Peters said.

Alvin Fiedler, Grand Chief of the Nishnawb Aski Nation, also said in a statement:

"We are concerned for the elderly, those who need refrigeration, and the spoilage of frozen food and game. Communications are disrupted, making it difficult to contact emergency services and officials."

The main North Store in Pekanjikam has also been closed for three days, and Peters said most of the essential goods there are likely to have spoiled.

Meanwhile, a large fire called Red Lake 62, which is 31,000 hectares and is 7 kilometres from the community, has prompted evacuations.

"Ontario Natural Resources should have notified us much earlier about this fire. When the fire was 30 kilometres away, they should have warned us and prepared us to evacuate," Peters said.

About 4,000 people live in Pekanjikam, and the command center is currently set up in a school, the only building with electricity (with a backup generator).

Some people have been relocated: 500 people have gone to Thunder Bay and 50 pregnant women to Sioux Lookout. About 2,000 were originally scheduled to be relocated to Toronto and Mississauga, but the chief said “those places are too far away” and many have chosen to stay nearby.

As for the fire, officials said the forest conditions, due to drought and lack of rain, have made it difficult to contain. Winds are forecast to be favorable for communities at risk in the coming days.

More than 20 air quality advisories have also been issued due to smoke from the fires in the area.

The chief concluded:

“We are sending out an urgent message of help. Anyone within earshot, please help. "We need food, diapers, formula, and electricity. Pray, if you are a person of prayer, pray for our people."

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