State Of Emergency Declared In Neskantaga

A remote northwestern Ontario First Nation is declaring a state of emergency due to recent suicides.
Leaders of the Neskantaga First Nation say two people, a 19-year-old man and another man in his 30’s, have taken their own lives in the past week.
Officials say this follows the fourth suicide and seventh sudden and tragic death in a year.
There have also been 20-other suicide attempts.
Councillor Roy Moonias says they have reached a breaking point and the community is in crisis.
Neskantaga (also known as Landsdowne House) is a remote fly-in community of 421, located 480-kilometres north of Thunder Bay.
Moonias says youth make up over 75% of the population.
He notes the community is faced with many challenges including a high rate of prescription drug abuse (roughly 50% of the population), issues of sexual abuse, a boil water advisory, inadequate policing as well as limited access to proper mental health and addictions treatments and counselling.
Health Canada says a nurse will arrive today at the reserve.