Peggy Revell
A convoy carrying emergency relief supplies for the children of Pikangikum First Nation is now on its way thanks to OPP assistance.
“It’s been amazing,” Marty Nelson of Family & Children’s Services here, chair of the Pikangikum Relief Committee, said about the public response to the plea for help.
An estimated four-five tons of emergency relief supplies poured in from across the district and beyond for Pikangikum.
It was an unexpected response—and one which meant FACS faced the challenge of transporting it all to the remote community 100 km northwest of Red Lake that only can be accessed by plane or via an ice road in the winter months.
The OPP was aware of FACS’ efforts to collect supplies for Pikangikum prior to Christmas, Fort Frances OPP Cst. Anne McCoy explained about how they became involved.
“We knew of the dilemma they had, about how to get the parcels to Pikangikum, and they were looking at a lot of different options,” she noted.
“Whether or not they were going to drive it in, fly it in—and everything has a cost.
“So our detachment commander came over and took a look at the amount of items that were donated, and it was determined that we could help them with a land transport of the items,” Cst. McCoy continued.
“I just think that [people] should be very proud that they supported such a worthwhile cause and, as the OPP, we’re going to do what we can to get the packages delivered safely up there.
“And we’ll help ensure that it gets to the contacts that it needs to in order to be well dispersed.”
FACS issued a plea to help Pikangikum in November after Tikinagan Child and Family Services of Sioux Lookout sent out an urgent request for assistance through the North South Partnership for Children, asking for emergency relief supplies such as infant formula, diapers, winter clothing, infant clothing, non-perishable food items, as well as monetary donations.
With a population of around 2,400, the average age in Pikangikum is 21 and roughly 47 percent of the population under the age of 15—with many of those children now in Tikinagan’s care.
Pikangikum faces “extreme social problems,” such as over-crowded and inadequate housing, inadequate community infrastructure, and high unemployment rates, the original appeal said.
The community also faces high rates of alcoholism and solvent abuse, and has seen 26 suicides over the last two years.
The OPP, other volunteers, and FACS staff spent yesterday afternoon packing full two 24-foot long trailers what will be pulled by two Suburbans to Pikangikum.
“Thank God for hockey players,” remarked FACS executive director Vik Nowak as members of the Fort Frances Lakers turned out to haul bag after bag and box after box of the donations that were piled up to the ceiling in the boardroom at FACS out to the trailers.
“It was nice having the boys here to help load and unload,” agreed Nelson.
“I’m happy that we can fit it all in one because we were worried about having to take stuff up afterwards,” she added, noting FACS employees and volunteers had separated and organized donations so that if there hadn’t been room, those items that were less needed could be set aside.
With the supplies now packed, the OPP and FACS personnel are set to travel to Pikangikum today (Jan. 6) to deliver them.
“We’re travelling the highway up to Red Lake and there is an ice road that travels from Red Lake up to Pikangikum,” Cst. McCoy noted.
“Most of it is an all-weather road, it’s like a logging bush road, then there’s about 13 km that’s an ice road.
“So we’re going to take that journey and it’s about an hour and 45 minutes and, hopefully, everything will go as plan, the weather will co-operate, and we’ll get up there by late afternoon.”
OPP officers with the Emergency Response Team who will be travelling with the convoy include Cst. McCoy and local detachment officers Greg Beazley and Greg Johnson, as well as Sgt. Eric Luoto from Thunder Bay.
Once the donations arrive, a representative from the North South Partnership for Children will be there, as well as community contact members, to help unload and distribute the supplies accordingly, Nelson explained.
As well, one of the FACS volunteers will stay up there until Monday to help see things through.
Besides delivering the supplies, the OPP also will be helping to assist FACS with distribution.
“We have one sergeant who is based out of Red Lake who oversees the members going into Pikangikum to work there,” Cst. McCoy explained.
“He’s got a lot of good community contacts in Pikangikum, so he’s helping FACS make contact with different community partners in order for the dispersal of the items.”
Cst. McCoy said this officer will be helping to contact health services, other Family and Children Services which operate in the area, the school, churches, and other community organizations so donations are distributed equally and put to good use.
With the emergency supplies now on their way, Nelson wanted to extend a big thank-you to all who made donations and volunteered their time.
“It’s been amazing, definitely,” she enthused. “We weren’t expecting the amount of stuff that we got. It’s been fantastic.
“We’ve even had people calling like within the past few days [to help],” she noted.
