Neskantaga First Nation Demands Immediate Emergency Response and Politics Accountability amid Health Crisis

Press Release

NESKANTAGA FIRST NATION, ON — Chief Gary Quisess of Neskantaga First Nation is issuing an urgent call to all levels of government: the time for talk is over. The community, currently under a declared State of Emergency, continues to face an escalating crisis with limited health care access, a closed nursing station, and vulnerable children and families still on the ground without the supports they need.

“For decades, Neskantaga has been forced to survive without the basic rights that other communities take for granted—clean water, access to health care, safe infrastructure,” said Chief Quisess. “Our current state of emergency is not just a public health emergency—it is the direct result of systemic neglect.”

Despite the nursing station being closed due to severe flooding and toxic fuel fumes, and despite the evacuation of over 100 community members, 26 children remain in the community with only two nurses working from a temporary makeshift clinic. Medical staff and leadership have warned that a serious health event cannot be safely managed under current conditions.

Chief Quisses is calling for immediate action, grounded in both Canada’s legal responsibilities and its public commitment to Truth and Reconciliation:

• Mobilize emergency health services to the community, including a fully equipped mobile medical unit;
• Accelerate deployment of Red Cross and Canadian Rangers to provide on-the-ground relief and logistical support;
• Federal political leaders to travel to Neskantaga to witness firsthand the conditions being endured;
• Deliver a written emergency plan outlining what services are available now, when the temporary health clinic will be operational, and timelines for full restoration of the nursing station.

Recent updates include:

• Restoration work at the nursing station is expected to begin early next week and will take approximately 10–14 days;
• An engineering and fire safety assessment will be conducted on April 23;
• A new duplex has been identified for conversion into a temporary clinic, with renovations to be completed by a local contractor;
• The fourth flight of evacuees departed Friday evening, after weather delays stalled transportation throughout the day.
• The fifth flight of evacuees is being planned today.

Still, these actions fall short of the urgent, coordinated response that the situation demands. “We are still operating in survival mode,” said Chief Quisess. “Our children are still at risk. Our health care workers are exhausted. We need more than promises—we need boots on the ground, now.”

Neskantaga First Nation has been under a boil water advisory for over 11,000 days—the longest in Canadian history. The community has faced multiple evacuations and decades of underinvestment in critical infrastructure. Despite repeated assurances from government leaders, Neskantaga continues to be left behind.

“Reconciliation is not just a word. It’s a commitment. And that commitment must come with action,” said Chief Quisess. “If this crisis were happening in any other community, the response would have been immediate. Our people deserve the same urgency and the same dignity.”

Neskantaga leadership welcomes media and political representatives to visit the community and see the realities on the ground for themselves.

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For media inquiries or to arrange travel into the community, please contact:

Carol Audet, Matawa FNM Communications Email: caudet@matawa.on.ca Cellular: 807-632-9663

Contact NFN
Office of Chief Gary Quisess
Neskantaga First Nation
Email: chief.quisess@neskantaga.com

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