Health-care workers leaving First Nation after parasite found in drinking water – CTV
February 03, 2026
Medical personnel are preparing to evacuate the Kashechewan First Nation just days after the parasite cryptosporidium was confirmed in the community’s drinking water.
Indigenous Services Canada says the community’s nurses are expected to leave sometime Monday, several days after residents were advised of their planned departure.
“Most community members have evacuated and, in consultation with the Chief, nurses will depart after the evacuation of the remaining individuals who choose to leave,” Indigenous Services Canada spokesperson Eric Head wrote in an emailed statement to CTV News.
Tyson Wesley, executive director of the Kashechewan First Nation, says the community’s paramedics are expected to follow, leaving the health facilities empty. The closest hospital with medical assistance is in Fort Albany, a roughly hour-long drive across the frozen Albany River on a winter road.
