Remote reserve in crisis, needs PM’s help: chief

A Manitoba grand chief is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to help a remote First Nation left in crisis after a fire destroyed the community’s only grocery store and band office. Sheila North Wilson, who represents northern First Nations, says in a letter to Trudeau that the Shamattawa First Nation is in a dire situation. “I would urge you, prime minister, to accept Chief Jeffrey Napaokesik’s invitation to visit the community at your earliest convenience, in order to see for yourself firsthand the underlying causes of the ongoing mental health and wellness crisis that has gripped the community for many years,” she wrote in the letter dated Tuesday.