October marked the third time in three years that local officials have called a state of emergency in Attawapiskat, but this last plea has finally put the housing crisis in the community on the map.
Federal officials, politicians, journalists and aid agencies have descended upon the remote Northern Ontario community to figure out just what has gone awry and what can be done to solve it.
The government says it poured $91 million into the village of under 2,000 residents, but the images of people living in tents, mould-infested construction trailers and uninsulated shacks don’t show any evidence of it.
The federal government said on Tuesday that it is investigating what is happening with all those dollars.
A look back in time shows that problems have persisted for years; looking ahead – solutions will likely take just as long.
1960 – Once a seasonal camp visited by members of the Omushkego James Bay Cree, the town site of Attawapiskat transforms from a settlement of temporary dwellings to a community with permanent buildings.
1979 – A diesel spill seeps into soil near the community’s elementary school.
2000 – Elementary school students in the community are moved into portables after their school is condemned. The school is closed on May 11, 2000 because of health problems associated with site contamination related to the 1979 oil spill.
2002 – Attawapiskat and De Beers Canada clash over how a proposed diamond mine will benefit the community.
2006 – De Beers Canada starts building Victor Mine, 90 kilometres west of Attawapiskat.
April 2006 – Melting ice damages power lines, forcing the evacuation of a provincial hospital in Attawapiskat because they didn’t have back-up generators.
October 2006 – Community officials accuse the federal government of refusing to sign a letter indicating the community’s water is safe to drink. The delay causes the school to open late. The community is also waiting for Ottawa to approve upgrades to its water treatment plant at the time.
January 2007– Chief Mike Carpenter asks the province for funding to address his community’s housing shortage. The housing deficit is estimated to be around 300 at this time.
November 2007–Jack Layton, then federal NDP leader, visits the community and calls the conditions an “abomination.”
May 2008 – Hundreds of people are evacuated from the community after a state of emergency is declared. The threat stems from the possibility of ice jams in the Attawapiskat River and subsequent flooding.
June 2008 – De Beers Canada opens the Victor Mine.
October 16, 2008 – Newly re-elected NDP MP Charlie Angus expresses big goals for his riding, hoping to secure a new elementary school.
April 2009 – The federal government shoots down the need for an evacuation of Attawapiskat after the community declares an emergency and closes two schools over what it calls an air-quality crisis. The problem stems from a 1979 underground fuel leak. Tearing down the school, which closed in 2009, uncorks a strong diesel smell. The provincial government tells Attawapiskat officials they can only help deal with air-quality problems if Ottawa gives its blessing.
May 12, 2009 – The federal government responds to the air-quality concerns saying that testing shows no health risks.
July 11, 2009 – A massive sewage flood dumps waste into eight buildings, which house 90 people. Both the provincial and federal government do not consider the sewage an emergency and do not evacuate the families. The federal government says the emergency plan is to accommodate displaced people in the community, but Attawapiskat officials decide to evacuate anyway. Community leaders say they are evacuating because there is nowhere for them to stay. DeBeers provides temporary trailers to house the evacuees once they return. Those people still live in the trailers.
August 21, 2009 – Community members travel to Toronto to confront De Beers Canada about the growing prosperity of the company and the growing poverty in the community. They claim De Beers did not hold up its end of a deal that promised job opportunities and additional building materials, if available, would be given to the community. Moreover, they claim the mine hadn’t provided the requested expertise on improving infrastructure in the community. De Beers denies the claims saying that 110 residents work at the mine.
August 22, 2009 – Members of the community travel to Ottawa to protest against the federal government.
October 14, 2009 – Chief Theresa Hall raises concerns about the federal government’s lack of response to the housing shortage caused by the sewage back-up. The government responds by saying it has committed $700,000 to repair homes.
2010 – An audit of federal funds spent on reserve housing suggests there is a lack of oversight on the part of the federal government. Funding levels are not necessarily tied to need, nor do they track if the money spent achieves the stated results.
November 18, 2011 – Chief Theresa Spence travels to the Ontario legislature to ask that people be evacuated until the housing situation improves.
October 28, 2011 – Attawapiskat leadership calls a state of emergency for the third time in three years.
November 10, 2011 – NDP MP Charlie Angus visits Attawapiskat and witnesses squalid living conditions.
November 21, 2011 – Charlie Angus publishes an editorial with graphic photos of the conditions on the reserve.
November 23, 2011 – MPP Gilles Bisson calls on the provincial government to take action on the housing crisis.
November 28, 2011 – Officials from the Department of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs visit the community to investigate why living conditions are so poor despite federal funding of over $80 million since 2006.
November 29, 2011 – The Canadian Red Cross and other volunteers land in the community with emergency supplies. They are followed by NDP interim leader Nycole Turmel and local MP Charlie Angus.
A meeting between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo will be scheduled later in the week.
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With files from The Canadian Press
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