Less than a week after Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, north of Thunder Bay, Ont., burned down, another First Nations community in the region has also been ravaged by wildfire. Whitewater Lake First Nation is about 70 kilometres north of Armstrong and 250 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. The Anishinaabe community is considered a non-status First Nation, but it belongs to the Windigo First Nations Council. The community largely consists of seasonal camps and is only accessible six months a year by floatplane. There are no full-time residents living there. Chief Pauline Drake said much of the community’s homes, personal belongings and vital infrastructure have been lost, as nearly 200 wildfires continue to rage across the province. …”These wildfires have not only impacted our First Nation communities but also the tourist outfitters, all the camp owners, the private ones, all our friends and allies all across Ontario and Canada,” she said.
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