The City of Timmins has agreed to be the official host for spring flooding evacuees from the James Bay community of Kashechewan, coordinating the operation to take care of 700 people.
Council heard of the arrangements at this week’s regular meeting. The evacuees will be offered a wide range of services.
Chris Pittens of the Ontario Fire Marshal’s emergency management section said education is among them. Students will have packages of about two week’s worth of homework. That hasn’t always worked well, so educational administrators in their community have a request.
“To be able to have a space where the school age children can come,” Pittens explained, “perhaps with these same homework packages or something along those lines, but in a place where they can focus on their schoolwork, where their teachers would come to provide that continuity in their education.”
Among others things, accommodations, food, medical and recreational services will be needed. Pittens told council how it will be paid for.
“By virtue of an agreement that the city would come to with Indigenous Services Canada,” he said, “the city would be reimbursed for all expenses, including a 10% administration fee.”
The evacuees should start arriving in Timmins in late April.