SIOUX LOOKOUT – On behalf of the Ontario NDP, MPP Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong) is calling on the Ford government to urgently support Bearskin Lake First Nation, which has declared a state of emergency as nearly half of the community has tested positive for COVID-19. He released the following statement:
“Bearskin Lake is in crisis and their calls for help are being ignored by the provincial government. With half the community sick or isolating, the limited health resources available in the community are stretched to the breaking point. Basic needs are going unmet, like access to food or wood to heat homes. Families are worried for their loved ones and the emergency needs of the community are not being met.
The Bearskin Lake community should not have to beg for help, nor should it have to beg for equitable access to health care or to be treated with dignity in a time of crisis. Ford must step in to support the community as it weathers this outbreak by urgently providing the resources Chief Kamenawatamin has requested, including making funding available to fly in the needed personnel and supplies, and requesting emergency support from the federal government and Canadian Armed Forces. Ford must act now to alleviate the suffering and bring aid to the families of Bearskin Lake First Nation.”