QUEEN'S PARK– Ontario NDP Deputy Leader and Shadow Minister for Indigenous and Treaty Relations MPP Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong) has released the following statement in response to the health care crisis in Neskantaga First Nation, due to a damaged nursing station septic system.
"It is unacceptable that the people of Neskantaga First Nation have had to evacuate from their homes yet again because of the inadequate maintenance of the community's infrastructure.
"As the Neskantaga First Nation leadership have rightly pointed out, the Ontario and Canadian governments are eager to extract from the traditional territory of Neskantaga First Nation rights holders, while neglecting their Treaty and legal obligations to support the health and well-being of the people who live there.
"I support Neskantaga First Nation's calls to the governments of Ontario and Canada, including for a federal guarantee for a new health-care facility. The Premier and province need to focus on ensuring the community has the sustainable access to functional health care that they deserve before any discussions about extractive resource projects and Ring of Fire negotiations occur."