Sudbury, partners working to plan 'home away from home' for future First Nation evacuees

With the start of both flooding and forest fire season coming up for remote northern Ontario First Nations, the City of Greater Sudbury and its partners are getting prepared for when evacuees arrive.

When Emergency Management Ontario contacts the city to host evacuees, the partners only have 24 to 48 hours to get ready. 

That means a lot of organizing happens well in advance.

The city and its partners held a planning session Wednesday to tweak their hosting plan.

They invited Tara Sloss to speak to the representatives.

She's from Peawanuck, near the Hudson Bay coast, and knows what it's like to have to evacuate her home with just a moment's notice.

"Flooding and wildfires are a big reality," Sloss said. 

It was during her evacuation stay in Timmins, Ont. a few years ago that she first noticed gaps in the system.

Things like language barriers, cultural differences and no Indigenous leads on site.

That's how the Stronger Together Framework was created. It's a made-in-Timmins approach to First Nation evacuations.

"It's an evergreen document really based on our First Nation communities and just providing a respectful holistic culturally sound evacuation host site," Sloss said.

During the planning session she encouraged the representatives to "ask those important questions" when evacuees come in.

"And take the time to learn about the people you're inviting into your community," she said.

"It's not about what you can bring to the table, it's about how you can support those communities."