First Nations raise alarm over lack of fire safety resources By: Danielle Da Silva Posted: 7:00 PM CST Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023

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This article was published 15/02/2023 (934 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

First Nations leaders are demanding more support for life-saving fire safety programs, after a blaze in Tataskweyak Cree Nation sent two children to hospital Feb. 11, less than one year after a house fire killed three youth in another northern community.

“You would think that people would have learned by now after a tragedy. You’d think that governments would have woken up by now, but it simply isn’t happening,” Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee said Wednesday.

An apartment building was destroyed and 10 families were displaced after a weekend fire in the community about 900 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

A 17-year-old who led children from the building lost consciousness while trying to rescue a two-year-old boy. The teen and toddler were rescued by firefighters and taken to hospital in stable, but critical condition.

On Wednesday, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs endorsed calls by TCN Chief Taralee Beardy for better fire-safety resources. Beardy told the CBC the community requires a new fire truck, as its current engine continues to break down.

Beardy could not be reached by the Free Press for comment Wednesday.

“Indigenous Services Canada could have avoided tragedies like this had they provided the necessary fire safety equipment and resources, such as a new fire truck, instead of leaving the First Nation to buy used equipment,” AMC Grand Chief Cathy Merrick said.

According to the AMC, a First Nations political advocacy organization, multiple northern communities do not have the resources or funding to establish their own fire department or to purchase appropriate equipment.

Merrick called on Indigenous Services Canada to ensure all First Nations in the province are prepared to respond and prevent fires in their communities: “Our… citizens deserve to feel safe in their homes and in their Nations.”

Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias said the blaze in neighbouring TCN stirred memories of the fire that devastated his community one year ago. The North siblings — Kolby, 17, Jade, 13, and Reid, 2 — died in a house fire Feb. 12, 2022.

“The (teen) who ran in there to save those children… was heroic, in my view, in putting her own life at risk,” Monias said. “But at the same time, why are we still having to deal with this?

“Why can’t we have proper fire suppression tools, and equipment, and human resources in the community at this day and age to ensure that we’re protecting our people?”

Premier Heather Stefanson visited Pimicikamak (also known as Cross Lake) in 2022 to meet with the grief-stricken family. They asked the premier to help address the poverty, overcrowded housing and lack of fire safety infrastructure in the community.

Manitoba premier consoles Pimicikamak Cree Nation after tragic fire

She directed Manitoba’s Indigenous reconciliation and northern relations minister to send a letter to the federal government one week later. It called for “meaningful action and funding for basic necessities” on reserves.

The letter did not receive a response, a provincial spokesperson said Wednesday. “In the meantime, the province continues to engage with Indigenous leadership and advocates through officials channels to support critical infrastructure needs of northern and remote communities.”

The North family continues to push for change and has shared their story with elected leaders, Monias said. However, there has been no progress to report, the chief said.

“We’re looking for a commitment from Canada, we’re looking for a commitment from Manitoba to step up and provide the funding, the resources — human, material and equipment — to be able to fight these fires, should they occur.”

National Indigenous Fire Safety Council senior director Blaine Wiggins said it is difficult to provide an accurate assessment of the fire prevention and response capacity on Manitoba First Nations. No comprehensive inventory has been taken, owing to a lack of resources, he said.

“We’re making strides, but we need to make bigger strides,” Wiggins said. “Because we’re so far behind, we have to do way more.”

The NIFSC was created by the Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada to develop support communities to develop, govern, and manage fire safety and response programs. The organization has two full-time public fire officers.

Wiggins said the federal government needs to be more collaborative and relinquish authority on funding decisions to accelerate the rollout of life-saving programs to participating tribal councils.

“The federal government’s job should be to fund,” he said. “They should not be making the decision about what the funding goes to. We need to define our own priorities.”

“The federal government’s job should be to fund… They should not be making the decision about what the funding goes to. We need to define our own priorities.”–Blaine Wiggins

Andrew MacKendrick, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, said the minister’s office is working closely with the Assembly of First Nations to move forward with a new First Nations fire protection strategy and a meeting to discuss short- to long-term solutions will be held in the coming weeks.

ISC has provided $43.9 million annually for fire protection between 2016 and 2022.

“The number of fires and frequency of loss of life from fire emergencies on reserve is absolutely unacceptable,” MacKendrick said in a statement.

“On fire safety, we remain open to all options when it comes to legislation, fire codes and other tools, and we’ll continue our efforts in partnership with First Nations in this critical work.”

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca