Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

04/24/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/24/2024 11:35

Ontario Supporting Eabametoong First Nation

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TORONTO -The Ontario government is working with Eabametoong First Nation to provide vital support, including up to $540,000 total one-time funding, after a fire devastated the John C. Yesno Education Centre, leaving the remote fly-in community without a school and community hub.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs is providing $250,000 for Eabametoong First Nation to respond to community needs and support students, including transition supports for Grade 9 students, emergency supplies, food, and mental health and well-being.

"Ensuring the safety and well-being of Indigenous communities, particularly during times of crisis, is a top priority for our government," said Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs. "Our team mobilized quickly and continues to work closely with Eabametoong First Nation to identify the community's needs and help rebuild crucial infrastructure to sustain the community's strength and vitality."

The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services is providing $120,000 through the Indigenous Healing and Wellness Strategy to support the community's pressing needs related to mental health, land-based programming, and health and safety, and up to $20,000 to Eabametoong First Nation to address emergency food security needs exacerbated by the fire.

In addition, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport is providing $150,000 in one-time funding to support children and youth in the community who have been affected by the loss of their school. This support is in addition to $71,500 in annual funding for Eabametoong First Nation through Ontario's After School Program, which provides safe and supervised sport and recreation activities for children and youth in more than 80 communities in Ontario, including 10 First Nations.

The Ministry of Education is also providing an additional $240,000 to further support the Keewatin Patricia District School Board's Rapid Response Northern Schools Team. This team provides highly trained and experienced staff to mobilize and deploy in local First Nation communities in response to requests made by communities during times of crisis and urgent need. In addition, the ministry is providing curriculum resources to Matawa Education to help students from kindergarten to Grade 9 complete the school year.

Quick Facts

  • Eabametoong First Nation is a remote fly-in community of 1,600 people located 300 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay. The fire on January 25, 2024 left 300 students from kindergarten to Grade 9 without a school.
  • Ontario invests $1.375 million annually over 10 years to help build capacity around emergency prevention, response, and recovery efforts in northern and remote First Nations communities through the Regional Social Emergency Managers Program.
  • The Regional Social Emergency Managers Program seeks to support northern and remote First Nation communities to increase their emergency preparedness capacity through the funding of 11 full-time Social Emergency Manager positions in Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Grand Council Treaty 3 regional organizations and Tribal Councils.
  • In addition to providing crisis and education support in response to requests from First Nation community schools, the Rapid Response Northern Schools Team also provides and promotes academic and well-being supports for students transitioning from their First Nation community schools into provincially funded schools.

Quotes

"Our government is supporting the Eabametoong First Nation community with funding to help meet students' day-to-day needs whether they be land-based activities, mental health services, recreation, nutrition programs, or e-learning tools. We will continue to work closely with the community after this devastating fire to ensure they have the support and resources needed to overcome these challenges, and help the next generation succeed."

- Michael Parsa
Minister of Children, Community and Social Services

"Our Rapid Response Northern Schools Team is working to support Eabametoong First Nation during this time of crisis. Our priority is to help ensure students have the resources they need for uninterrupted learning during this very difficult time, along with assisting school staff to continue to deliver education, mental health resources and well-being supports. The importance of maintaining a sense of normalcy as the community - specifically students - recover from the loss of their school is first and foremost."

- Stephen Lecce
Minister of Education

"Our government recognizes the vital role that the John C. Yesno Education Centre played in providing the children and youth of Eabametoong First Nation with resources and programming to support their intellectual and social development. This funding will provide critical support that responds to their needs during this challenging time, while also encouraging strength and resiliency throughout the broader community."

- Neil Lumsden
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

"What has happened in our community over the past year with both of the major fires we have experienced has been quite devastating. Our local infrastructure has been severely impacted, our students no longer have a school, our families no longer have a recreation and gathering place and it will be years until a new one is built. That is hard for most people in Ontario to comprehend. However, it has been very positive working with Minister Rickford and Ontario's team to help everyone understand that the deeper mental and social health issues that cause this destruction need to be addressed - not just putting up a building. We are working together to support the healing and recovery of our people so that Eabametoong can thrive again. EFN's Chief and Council are appreciative of the rapid and sincere actions taken by Ontario to work with us through this trying time."

- Solomon Atlookan
Chief of Eabametoong First Nation

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