Plans for Eabametoong First Nation's temporary school progressing after fire razed its only learning centre

In just a few short weeks, it's been a long haul for Eabametoong First Nation to get a temporary school in place after the remote Ojibway community's only school was destroyed by ar‐ son.

But cleanup efforts are underway to remove debris from the John C. Yesno Edu‐ cation Centre and make room for the temporary school, with supplies to build it starting to get into the community in northwestern Ontario.

The Jan. 25 fire displaced about 300 students from kindergarten to Grade 9 and has also impacted the com‐ munity, which used John C. Yesno Education Centre as a central gathering place.

With government funding pledged for the temporary school, Eabametoong First Nation Chief Solomon At‐ lookan is hopeful it will be ready for September.

"There's a real positive feeling that we are going to open a school for our chil‐ dren to go this fall," he said.

Since the fire and police laid arson charges against four teenagers, the band council has been working on getting students back into classrooms to minimize dis‐ ruptions to their education.

On Feb. 16, federal Minis‐ ter of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu met with At‐ lookan in Thunder Bay and committed to helping the community build the tempo‐ rary school by Sept. 1.

"We are urgently investing over $13 million to help the community buy, bring in, build and fully furnish five modular buildings," said Haj‐ du's press secretary, Reem Sheet, in an email to CBC News after the meeting.

"This is on top of the $3.7 million we invested up to date for educational re‐ sources, additional teachers, supplies and essential men‐ tal health services for the students.

"The federal government will be there for the people of Eabametoong as they re‐ cover from this tragic event and do everything they can so kids can continue to learn."

Colder weather comes in clutch

In early February, Nishnawbe Aski Nation declared a state of emergency as an unsea‐ sonably warm winter was threatening the viability of the winter road network, an important transportation link for NAN's 49 member First Nations.

But the recent colder weather has helped stabilize Eabametoong's winter road, so supplies for the tempo‐ rary school are starting to ar‐ rive, Atlookan said.

"We've got some items now that came in through the winter road, some stor‐ age containers as well as some lumber, and we're going to continue to do so while it's cold."

The hope is to get the bulkiest items up as soon as possible due to the high cost of transporting materials by plane.

Although some portables remain unscathed after the main school building burned down, there's a shortage of space elsewhere in the com‐ munity for students to con‐ tinue classes as usual.

Meanwhile, more than a dozen Grade 9 students have been sent to complete their semester at the Matawa Edu‐ cation and Care Centre in Thunder Bay.

Youth from Eabametoong usually complete their high school education in the city starting in Grade 10.

Ontario Minister of Indige‐ nous Affairs Greg Rickford, who says he has personal ties to Eabametoong, has made verbal commitments to the community, Atlookan said.

These include:

Fixing up an unfinished treatment centre in the community, which can be temporarily used for the school's land-based programs. Extending the community hall to pro‐ vide more space for school activities. Adding artificial ice to the arena to promote youth recreation.

Hajdu and Rickford have said they'll travel to Eabametoong soon, Atlookan said, noting Rickford has tried three times, but had to turn around due to bad weather.

Michael Tibollo, Ontario's associate minister of mental health and addictions, has al‐ so expressed interest in visit‐ ing.

Planning for a new school in Eabametoong was under‐ way before the fire. Atlookan said that process will contin‐ ue once the temporary school is constructed.

"That will not affect the current funding that we re‐ ceived - we're still going to get a new school."