Attawapiskat First Nation
Encyclopedia
Attawapiskat First Nation (Cree
: ᐋᐦᑕᐙᐱᐢᑲᑐᐎ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊᐠ (Āhtawāpiskatowi ininiwak, "People of the parting of the rocks"); unpointed: ᐊᑕᐗᐱᐢᑲᑐᐎ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊᐠ) is an isolated First Nation located in Kenora District
in northern
Ontario
, Canada
, at the mouth of the Attawapiskat River
at James Bay
. According to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
statistics, there were 2,800 registered members of the Attawapiskat First Nation. The on reserve population of Attawapiskat was 1,293 according to the Statistics Canada
2001 Census
. The location of the town has been a gathering place for local Native people for centuries. Originally it was a seasonal camp that was visited in the spring and summer to take advantage of the prime fishing on one of the main drainage rivers of James Bay. Historically, in the wintertime, families left the location to live in other trapping, hunting and gathering sites along the coast, inland or on Akamiski Island. Attawapiskat has grown from a settlement of temporary dwellings, such as tent
s and teepees, in the 1950s to a community with permanent buildings, which were constructed in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
, a parallel river north of the Attawapiskat River that drains into James Bay. In time, it was decided by local leaders to establish the community in its present location on the Attawapiskat River instead. This was due to an existing trading post and better access to James Bay shipping routes from this location. The new reserve was then numbered Indian Reserve 91A.
Local leadership is an elected government of a chief, a deputy chief and twelve councilors who serve three year terms. The current chief (2008) is Theresa Hall. The current deputy chief is Theresa Spence (2008).
Attawapiskat First Nation is part of the regional Mushkegowuck Council, an Aboriginal political group representing the James Bay Mushkego or Omushkego Cree. The community and the Council are together represented under the Political Territorial Organization, Nishnawbe Aski Nation
(NAN), which represents 50 First Nations in Northern Ontario. NAN is the representative political body for the First Nations that are part of Treaty #9.
The federal and provincial representation of reserve is within the riding of Timmins—James Bay
. The current provincial MPP is Gilles Bisson
(NDP) and federal MP is Charlie Angus
(NDP).
year-round. The airport was opened in 1974, but air service in the community began in 1957. The airport is equipped with a gravel runway that was constructed in the 1970s. During the winter months, a "Winter Road" is constructed that connects the community to other coastal towns on the James Bay coast. Winter roads are temporary routes of transportation that are constructed mostly in January, February, March and even April throughout remote parts of Northern Ontario
. The seasonal James Bay
winter road
connects the communities of Attawapiskat, Kashechewan, Fort Albany
, Moosonee
and Moose Factory
. James Bay Winter Road operated/managed by Kimesskanemenow Corporation. From Moosonee the Ontario Northland Railway
runs south to Cochrane.
Residents of several remote coastal communities often take advantage of the winter road to purchase goods and perishables, by making long trips to Moosonee. When the winter road is in good condition, the trip can take five hours to Kashechewan, one way. During the period when the winter road is open, certain community band members offer taxi services, shuttling between the communities. James Bay Winter Road is available in the winter months barring bad weather such as blizzards and heavy snowfalls, at which point access will be closed until the road is inspected and snow is plowed away.
Roads in town are dirt or gravel. The first roads were built by province in 1956.
Circa 2007, Thunder Airlines
supplanted Air Creebec
, as supplier of postal services and for shipping goods. Heavier goods are shipped into the community via a seasonal barge from Moosonee.
d by the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service
, an Aboriginal based service that replaced the Ontario Provincial Police
(OPP). This change took place in the early 1990s in most remote northern communities in Ontario. The community is served by the Attawapiskat detachment in the Northeast Region.
Basic health services are provided by the Attawapiskat Wing of James Bay General Hospital (main wing in Moosonee, Ontario
), a provincial hospital which provides sixteen beds for pediatric, medical/surgical and chronic care
. The hospital replaced St. Mary's Hospital, established by the Catholic Church in 1951, in 1969. Health services are provided by a nursing staff. However, like other remote communities on the James Bay coast, there is no doctor in the community. A physician from Weeneebayko General Hospital in Moose Factory visits Attawapiskat, as well as other communities along the coast on a regular basis during each month. Patients with serious injuries, or those requiring surgery, must be transported to a larger centre for treatment. These emergency patients are transported by air ambulance airplane or helicopter to medical centres in Moose Factory, Timmins, Sudbury or Kingston, depending on their condition.
James Bay General Hospital is being merged with federally operated Weeneebayko General Hospital to improve health care services in the region.
Attawapiskat Health Clinic provides additional outpatient health care services to the community and located across the street from James Bay Hospital Attawapiskat Wing.
Pre-hospital medical care is provided by James Bay Ambulance Service, a provincial service run by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. The community is served by one EMS base (#02) with two ambulances (one primary and one reserve) for the entire community. There are two primary health care paramedics stationed in this community at all hourdand every day of the week.
Attawapiskat Fire Rescue consists of a fire department of nine (one fire chief, one lieutenant and seven firefighters) at one station with one pumper.
priest
who has served the community since 1975.
Since the Attawapiskat First Nation was forced to close its elementary school in May 2000, the community’s students have been receiving their elementary education in a series of portables. Money that had been allocated for the renovation of the deteriorating physical condition of the 25 year old frame construction school was used to fund the construction of eight double and three single portable classrooms. The facilities are basic with none of the supplementary resources schools in other parts of the province have available. Parents in the community are now starting to hold their children back from attending the school, or are seeking education in other communities. The situation is deteriorating since quality education cannot be offered in the present facilities.
A study by B. H. Martin indicates that the total area available for instruction is only about 50% of the space allocated in Indian Affairs' School Space Accommodation Standards.
A new school was promised by the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs in the summer of 2000, but no action has been taken. The Education Authority’s Chairman summed up the community’s plight by saying; "We just want what any other parent would want for their children - a safe school."
Note: Many channels from TV shows public to community and up to 48 TV Channels
Local television cable services is provided by Attawapiskat Development Corporation.
Local stores include the Northern Store and M. Koostachin & Sons (1976). More than a third of the residents occasionally place orders for perishables and other goods (except alcohol) which are shipped in via aircraft from Timmins, and for which the residents make prepayments with money orders. When their orders arrive, the residents have to pick them up at the local airport.
The price of gasoline
is considerably higher than the provincial average. When the fuel is shipped via winter road, the prices of gasoline and propane tend to drop slightly.
A majority of the community members have updated their heating needs, while many households still use dry firewood.
From 1927 to 1960, the Catholic Church's Oblate Mission operated a sawmill.
In 1901 the Hudson's Bay Company
established a trading post and store in town. The Northern Store took over the operations from HBC in the 1980s.
Much of the housing in the community is considered substandard.
The Canadian Red Cross is mobilizing to help meet immediate needs in the community of Attawapiskat. The Red Cross continues to work closely with public authorities and the community to identify and address urgent, short-term needs. At the request of the community the Red Cross will also take on a donation management role to support these needs as identified.
Cree language
Cree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana...
: ᐋᐦᑕᐙᐱᐢᑲᑐᐎ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊᐠ (Āhtawāpiskatowi ininiwak, "People of the parting of the rocks"); unpointed: ᐊᑕᐗᐱᐢᑲᑐᐎ ᐃᓂᓂᐧᐊᐠ) is an isolated First Nation located in Kenora District
Kenora District, Ontario
Kenora District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1907 from parts of Rainy River District. It is, geographically, the largest division in that province; at 407,192.66 km2 it comprises almost 38 percent of the province's land area...
in northern
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, at the mouth of the Attawapiskat River
Attawapiskat River
The Attawapiskat River is a river in Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada that flows east from Attawapiskat Lake to James Bay.-Course:The Attawapiskat River travels a distance of , and has a drainage area of ....
at James Bay
James Bay
James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut...
. According to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
The Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for policies relating to Aboriginal peoples...
statistics, there were 2,800 registered members of the Attawapiskat First Nation. The on reserve population of Attawapiskat was 1,293 according to the Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
2001 Census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
History
Attawapiskat is home to the Mushkego or Omushkego James Bay CreeCree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
. The location of the town has been a gathering place for local Native people for centuries. Originally it was a seasonal camp that was visited in the spring and summer to take advantage of the prime fishing on one of the main drainage rivers of James Bay. Historically, in the wintertime, families left the location to live in other trapping, hunting and gathering sites along the coast, inland or on Akamiski Island. Attawapiskat has grown from a settlement of temporary dwellings, such as tent
Tent
A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using guy ropes tied to stakes or tent pegs...
s and teepees, in the 1950s to a community with permanent buildings, which were constructed in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Governance
Attawapiskat was officially recognized by the government of Canada under the Treaty #9 document. Although the original document was signed in the years 1905 and 1906, it only included the communities south of the Albany River in northern Ontario. Attawapiskat was included when adhesions were made to the treaty to include the communities north of the Albany River. Attawapiskat was numbered as Indian Reserve 91 as part of Treaty #9. The treaty set aside reserve lands on the Ekwan RiverEkwan River
The Ekwan River is a river in Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It travels about from its source at Zumar Lake on the Canadian Shield, through the Hudson Bay Lowlands, northeast and then east, to its mouth on James Bay.-Course:...
, a parallel river north of the Attawapiskat River that drains into James Bay. In time, it was decided by local leaders to establish the community in its present location on the Attawapiskat River instead. This was due to an existing trading post and better access to James Bay shipping routes from this location. The new reserve was then numbered Indian Reserve 91A.
Local leadership is an elected government of a chief, a deputy chief and twelve councilors who serve three year terms. The current chief (2008) is Theresa Hall. The current deputy chief is Theresa Spence (2008).
Attawapiskat First Nation is part of the regional Mushkegowuck Council, an Aboriginal political group representing the James Bay Mushkego or Omushkego Cree. The community and the Council are together represented under the Political Territorial Organization, Nishnawbe Aski Nation
Nishnawbe Aski Nation
Nishnawbe Aski Nation is a political organization representing 49 First Nation communities across Treaty 9 and Treaty 5 areas of northern Ontario, Canada...
(NAN), which represents 50 First Nations in Northern Ontario. NAN is the representative political body for the First Nations that are part of Treaty #9.
The federal and provincial representation of reserve is within the riding of Timmins—James Bay
Timmins—James Bay
Timmins—James Bay is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 84,001....
. The current provincial MPP is Gilles Bisson
Gilles Bisson
Gilles Bisson is a Franco-Ontarian Canadian politician who has represented the northern riding of Timmins—James Bay in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1990...
(NDP) and federal MP is Charlie Angus
Charlie Angus
Charles Joseph Angus MP is a Canadian writer, broadcaster, musician, and politician. Angus entered electoral politics in 2004 as the successful New Democratic Party candidate in the Ontario riding of Timmins—James Bay. He was the NDP parliamentary critic for Canadian Heritage from 2004 to 2007,...
(NDP).
Transportation
Travel to Attawapiskat is accessible through Attawapiskat AirportAttawapiskat Airport
Attawapiskat Airport, , is adjacent to Attawapiskat, Ontario Canada.-Airlines:*Air Creebec *Thunder Airlines...
year-round. The airport was opened in 1974, but air service in the community began in 1957. The airport is equipped with a gravel runway that was constructed in the 1970s. During the winter months, a "Winter Road" is constructed that connects the community to other coastal towns on the James Bay coast. Winter roads are temporary routes of transportation that are constructed mostly in January, February, March and even April throughout remote parts of Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
. The seasonal James Bay
James Bay
James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut...
winter road
Winter road
Winter roads are temporary highways carved out of snow and ice. They facilitate transportation to and from communities without permanent roads, and are commonly seen in isolated regions in Canada's north....
connects the communities of Attawapiskat, Kashechewan, Fort Albany
Fort Albany, Ontario
Fort Albany First Nation is a community in within the Cochrane District of Northern Ontario, Canada. Situated on the southern shore of the Albany River, Fort Albany First Nation is only accessible by air or by winter road....
, Moosonee
Moosonee, Ontario
Moosonee is a town in northern Ontario, Canada, on the Moose River approximately south of James Bay. It is considered as "the Gateway to the Arctic" and has Ontario's only saltwater port...
and Moose Factory
Moose Factory, Ontario
Moose Factory is a community in the Cochrane District, Ontario, Canada. It is on Moose Factory Island, near the mouth of the Moose River, which is at the southern end of James Bay. It was the first English-speaking settlement in Ontario and the second Hudson's Bay Company post to be set up in North...
. James Bay Winter Road operated/managed by Kimesskanemenow Corporation. From Moosonee the Ontario Northland Railway
Ontario Northland Railway
The Ontario Northland Railway is a Canadian railway operated by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, a provincial Crown agency of the government of Ontario....
runs south to Cochrane.
Residents of several remote coastal communities often take advantage of the winter road to purchase goods and perishables, by making long trips to Moosonee. When the winter road is in good condition, the trip can take five hours to Kashechewan, one way. During the period when the winter road is open, certain community band members offer taxi services, shuttling between the communities. James Bay Winter Road is available in the winter months barring bad weather such as blizzards and heavy snowfalls, at which point access will be closed until the road is inspected and snow is plowed away.
Roads in town are dirt or gravel. The first roads were built by province in 1956.
Circa 2007, Thunder Airlines
Thunder Airlines
Thunder Airlines is a Canadian scheduled flight, charter and Medevac airline based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They offer on-demand charter service from bases in Thunder Bay and Timmins.-Fleet:As of June 2009 the company operated:*4 King Air A100...
supplanted Air Creebec
Air Creebec
Air Creebec Inc. is a regional airline based in Val-d'Or, Quebec, Canada. It operates scheduled and charter services to 16 destinations in Quebec and Ontario. Its main base is Val-d'Or Airport, with a hub at Timmins/Victor M. Power Airport.- History :...
, as supplier of postal services and for shipping goods. Heavier goods are shipped into the community via a seasonal barge from Moosonee.
Community services
Attawapiskat is policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
d by the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service
Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service
The Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service is the police force for Nishnawbe-Aski Nation . Created in 1994, the force has 175 sworn officers at 35 detachments in NAN communities. The Chief of Police is vacant with Robin Jones Acting Chief of Police...
, an Aboriginal based service that replaced the Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
(OPP). This change took place in the early 1990s in most remote northern communities in Ontario. The community is served by the Attawapiskat detachment in the Northeast Region.
Basic health services are provided by the Attawapiskat Wing of James Bay General Hospital (main wing in Moosonee, Ontario
Moosonee, Ontario
Moosonee is a town in northern Ontario, Canada, on the Moose River approximately south of James Bay. It is considered as "the Gateway to the Arctic" and has Ontario's only saltwater port...
), a provincial hospital which provides sixteen beds for pediatric, medical/surgical and chronic care
Chronic care
Chronic care refers to medical care which addresses preexisting or long term illness, as opposed to acute care which is concerned with short term or severe illness of brief duration. Chronic medical conditions include, but are not limited to, asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, congestive heart...
. The hospital replaced St. Mary's Hospital, established by the Catholic Church in 1951, in 1969. Health services are provided by a nursing staff. However, like other remote communities on the James Bay coast, there is no doctor in the community. A physician from Weeneebayko General Hospital in Moose Factory visits Attawapiskat, as well as other communities along the coast on a regular basis during each month. Patients with serious injuries, or those requiring surgery, must be transported to a larger centre for treatment. These emergency patients are transported by air ambulance airplane or helicopter to medical centres in Moose Factory, Timmins, Sudbury or Kingston, depending on their condition.
James Bay General Hospital is being merged with federally operated Weeneebayko General Hospital to improve health care services in the region.
Attawapiskat Health Clinic provides additional outpatient health care services to the community and located across the street from James Bay Hospital Attawapiskat Wing.
Pre-hospital medical care is provided by James Bay Ambulance Service, a provincial service run by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. The community is served by one EMS base (#02) with two ambulances (one primary and one reserve) for the entire community. There are two primary health care paramedics stationed in this community at all hourdand every day of the week.
Attawapiskat Fire Rescue consists of a fire department of nine (one fire chief, one lieutenant and seven firefighters) at one station with one pumper.
Religion
St. Ignatius Catholic Church built in 1935 is the only place of worship in Attawapiskat. It also maintains the local cemetery.Education
Primary school students attended J.R. Nakogee School which was constructed in the 1970s and opened in 1976.. It is not the first school in town, Attawapiskat School opened in 1953. J.R. Nakogee School was closed on May 11, 2000 because of site contamination and possible health problems that were attributed to a massive diesel leak at the site that occurred in 1979. The students and staff have since been in portables. Secondary school students attend Vezina Secondary School which was established in the early 1990s with additions built in following years. The secondary school was founded by John B. Nakogee in 1991 and it was named after Father Rodigue Vezina, a local CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
who has served the community since 1975.
Since the Attawapiskat First Nation was forced to close its elementary school in May 2000, the community’s students have been receiving their elementary education in a series of portables. Money that had been allocated for the renovation of the deteriorating physical condition of the 25 year old frame construction school was used to fund the construction of eight double and three single portable classrooms. The facilities are basic with none of the supplementary resources schools in other parts of the province have available. Parents in the community are now starting to hold their children back from attending the school, or are seeking education in other communities. The situation is deteriorating since quality education cannot be offered in the present facilities.
A study by B. H. Martin indicates that the total area available for instruction is only about 50% of the space allocated in Indian Affairs' School Space Accommodation Standards.
A new school was promised by the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs in the summer of 2000, but no action has been taken. The Education Authority’s Chairman summed up the community’s plight by saying; "We just want what any other parent would want for their children - a safe school."
Radio
- FM 89.9 - CKMTCKWT-FMCKWT-FM is a radio station of Wawatay Radio Network in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada. The station airs a community programming format for First Nations, and serves much of Northwestern Ontario through a network of rebroadcast transmitters.-Rebroadcasters:...
, First NationsFirst NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
community radioCommunity radioCommunity radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
(relays CKWT-FM, Sioux LookoutSioux Lookout, OntarioSioux Lookout is a town in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It has a population of 5,336 and an elevation of 1280 ft / 390 m. Known locally as the "Hub of the North", it is serviced by the Sioux Lookout Airport, Highway 72, and the Sioux Lookout railway station...
) - FM 101.5 - CBCACBCS-FMCBCS-FM is a Canadian radio station. It is the CBC Radio One station in Sudbury, Ontario, broadcasting at 99.9 FM, and serves all of Northeastern Ontario through its network of relay transmitters.-History:The station was launched in 1978 on FM 99.9 MHz...
, CBC Radio OneCBC Radio OneCBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
(relays CBCS-FM, Sudbury) - FM 107.1 - CJBACJBA-FMCJBA-FM is a First nations community radio station that operates at 107.1 FM in Attawapiskat, Ontario, Canada.Owned by the Attawapiskat First Nation Educational Authority, the station was given approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in 1995.- External links :*...
, First NationsFirst NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
community radioCommunity radioCommunity radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
(local)
Television
| Channel | TV Info |
|---|---|
| 21 | History Channel |
| 26 | Teletoon (Canadian TV channel) Télétoon (Canadian TV channel) Télétoon is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel that specializes in animation programming. Télétoon is owned by Teletoon Canada Inc; a 50/50 partnership between Astral Media and Corus Entertainment... |
| 28 | Attawapiskat Development Corporation |
| 34 | The Weather Network The Weather Network The Weather Network is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel that broadcasts weather-related news and information 24 hours a day.... |
| 41 | CTV News CTV News CTV News is the news division of the CTV Television Network in Canada. The name CTV News is also applied as the title of local and regional newscasts on the network's owned-and-operated stations , which are closely tied to the national news division... |
| 46 | Treehouse TV Treehouse TV Treehouse TV is a Canadian English language cable television specialty channel with programming targeted towards preschoolers that was launched on October 17, 1997. Its name comes from YTV's old children's programming block, The Treehouse... |
Note: Many channels from TV shows public to community and up to 48 TV Channels
Local television cable services is provided by Attawapiskat Development Corporation.
Cost of living
The cost of living in Attawapiskat is quite high, due to the expense of shipping goods to the community.Local stores include the Northern Store and M. Koostachin & Sons (1976). More than a third of the residents occasionally place orders for perishables and other goods (except alcohol) which are shipped in via aircraft from Timmins, and for which the residents make prepayments with money orders. When their orders arrive, the residents have to pick them up at the local airport.
The price of gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
is considerably higher than the provincial average. When the fuel is shipped via winter road, the prices of gasoline and propane tend to drop slightly.
A majority of the community members have updated their heating needs, while many households still use dry firewood.
Economy and employment
Economic and employment opportunities are limited to work within the community, mainly service sector or for the local band council. There are only a handful of businesses in the town.- Kataquapit's Inn - family run hotel housing DeBeers workers
- Northern Store and Warehouse - retail store
- Attawapiskat Band Council
- Attawapiskat Development Corporation
- Attawapiskat Airport
- April's Coffee Shop
- SIPC Development Incorporated
- DeBeers Marc Guevremont Training Centre - training staff for Victor Mine
- James Bay General Hospital
- James Bay Ambulance Service
- Attawapiskat Fire Rescue
- Attawapiskat Water Treatment Plant
- Attawapiskat Health Centre - outpatient clinic
- Vezina Secondary School
- J.R. Nakogee School - public school
- CJBA-FM - local radio station
- M. Koostachin & Sons - retail store
From 1927 to 1960, the Catholic Church's Oblate Mission operated a sawmill.
In 1901 the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
established a trading post and store in town. The Northern Store took over the operations from HBC in the 1980s.
Mining
DeBeers Canada opened Victor Mine, 90 kilometres (55.9 mi) west of Attawapiskat in 2008, work on the mine began in 2006. An Impact-Benefit Agreement (IBA) was signed with the community to be later protested by the community through demonstrations and road blocks .2011 crisis
October 2011 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.Much of the housing in the community is considered substandard.
The Canadian Red Cross is mobilizing to help meet immediate needs in the community of Attawapiskat. The Red Cross continues to work closely with public authorities and the community to identify and address urgent, short-term needs. At the request of the community the Red Cross will also take on a donation management role to support these needs as identified.
External links
- Attawapiskat First Nation (Official Website)
- Shannen's Dream
- Diamonds Near Attawapiskat
- Link to Reference.com
- Link to Keewaytinook Okimakanak website (KNET) - Community Profile
- Weeneebayko Health Ahtuskaywin regional health authority
- 1994 survey by Jackie Hokimaw-Witt
- Pictures 1980s and 1990s by Paul Lantz