GINOOGAMING — The band office for Ginoogaming First Nation reopened Friday, the day after the arrest of two suspects in the shooting death of a man in the community on Long Lake’s east shore.
A shelter-in-place advisory for the Ginoogaming-Longlac area was lifted Thursday afternoon, more than a day after police issued it following a shooting incident that took the life of Sebastian Towegishig and injured another person.
Meanwhile, Indigenous leaders and Northwestern Ontario MPPs say the situation that unfolded in Ginoogaming this week illustrates an urgent need for change.
“I empathize with other First Nations within the municipality of Greenstone who also are struggling with having their hands tied when they want to deal with members who are harbouring drug dealers in their homes,” Ginoogaming Chief Sheri Taylor said in a news release.
“Governments need to step in and have a serious look at the inability of law enforcement to fulfill their crucial role in maintaining public safety and enforcing laws because this puts our families at risk every day.”
Chiefs in Nishnawbe Aski Nation, the regional political organization for Ginoogaming and 48 other First Nations in northern Ontario, declared their communities to be “in a state of emergency and public safety crisis over illegal drugs and drug-related violence.”
NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said in a news conference Thursday that one necessary change is federal and provincial recognition of First Nations’ authority to pass their own laws for community safety.
As well, he told reporters, there needs to be recognition of First Nations’ borders, so that they can put security measures in place to detect and confiscate illegal drugs.
In support of the NAN declaration, Thunder Bay–Superior North MPP Lise Vaugeois and Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa issued a news release calling on the Ontario government “to take urgent action to address the public safety crises faced in NAN First Nations.”
Vaugeois, whose riding includes Ginoogaming, told Newswatch on Friday that it seems Ontario’s Progressive Conservative premier has never “picked up the phone and talked to the chief and said ‘Look, we’re really sorry you’re going through this. How can we help?’
“If it was a state of emergency in a town in southern Ontario, I would expect the premier to pick up the phone and say ‘We’re watching, we really care about what’s happening, and we’re here to help.’
“Ginoogaming just doesn’t get that kind of response.”
The director of communications for Greg Rickford, Indigenous relations minister and MPP for Kenora–Rainy River, contradicted Vaugeois’s characterization of the government’s response.
“We are saddened to hear of the tragedy and injuries at Ginoogaming First Nation and extend our deepest condolences to the community on the loss of life,” Jenna DePaiva said in an email to Newswatch.
“We have reached out to Chief Sheri Taylor and will continue to work directly with the community.”
Vaugeois said First Nations in northern Ontario are “targeted” by drug gangs “because they know that there are vulnerable young people” in those communities.
“No one should be facing these risks or have their lives disrupted because of gangs acting with impunity and insufficient tools to remove them,” she said.
“Public safety also requires a justice system and policing practices that protect our community members,” Mamakwa, deputy leader of the Ontario NDP, said in the news release.
“We have seen too many police-involved shootings tragically take the lives of First Nations people in the far North over recent months and years.
“We call on the Ontario government to respond comprehensively and without delay to the issues raised by Nishnawbe Aski Nation in their declaration of the state of emergency.
“These issues are a matter of life and death for community members from the NAN First Nations, and the government continues to put their lives to the side.”
In July 2025 alone, there were two fatal police shootings of people in NAN communities — one in Wapekeka, the other in Deer Lake.
Newswatch sought comment from federal officials but received no response as of 4 p.m. Friday.
Ontario Provincial Police say they responded to reports of shots fired in the Echum Drive area of Ginoogaming at about 2:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
One person was found dead, a second was located with injuries and transported to a hospital.
Police issued a shelter-in-place advisory Wednesday morning for the Ginoogaming-Longlac area and lifted the advisory Thursday afternoon when two suspects were apprehended.
Police have charged two males from Brampton, ages 18 and 15, with second-degree murder and attempted murder with a firearm. Both are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay at a later date.
