Medical staff leave Kashechewan First Nation as parasite contaminates water
Written by The Canadian Press on February 4, 2026
Medical staff have left a northern Ontario First Nation that was largely evacuated last month after its water system failed and a parasite that causes gastrointestinal illness contaminated its water supply.
Indigenous Services Canada says all remaining nurses left Kashechewan First Nation on Monday after consultation with community leaders.
The department says people who remain in the community will be able to access health services at a hospital in neighbouring Fort Albany, and Ornge air ambulance has also been notified and will provide emergency medical transport as needed.
Officials at the fly-in community on the western shore of James Bay declared a state of emergency on Jan. 4 after infrastructure damage created a public health and safety issue, with sewage creeping into people’s homes and contaminating fresh water systems.
The community’s executive director Tyson Wesley says new test results from the water plant show the water is contaminated with a parasite called cryptosporidium.
He says about 370 people were still living in the community as of last week, after more than 1,500 people were evacuated to communities across Ontario including Niagara Falls, Timmins, Kapuskasing and Kingston.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2026.
The Canadian Press