All-Expenses-Paid Time-Out

Canada's government has much to answer for in its long-standing and inadequate response to the needs of aboriginal Canadians. But attempting by all means at their disposal to assuage the intolerable living conditions of aboriginals stagnating on Indian Reserves in this country is not one of them. Throwing useless and huge amounts of cash at the reserve system, and supporting the First Nations industry of helpless, hapless dependence on handouts has been a colossal failure.

But this is the first time that an aboriginal chief has complained to the federal government, demanding that it do battle with nature on behalf of aboriginals. If there is something that human connivance and contrivance cannot overcome, it is nature and her implacable temperament. Weather conditions and their sometimes catastrophic outcomes are beyond the capabilities of any human agency.

Yet Chief Jonathan Solomon of the James Bay First Nation community of Kashechewan demands that the federal government devise a solution - a permanent solution - to overcome the perennial problem of flooding in native communities in northern Ontario. Funny thing, that; non-native communities in Ontario and New Brunswick and Quebec are also facing dire flooding situations. They strive to fend for themselves.

"This is ridiculous", wails Chief Solomon. "Why do we have to do this (evacuate) and continue to do this as long as we are here? The government has to come to the table and find a resolution here." Well, as the aboriginal community of Kashechewan overwhelmingly voted to remain in their tenuously-flood-prone area astride the Albany River, this would appear to have been an unwise choice.

For the fourth year in a row, a massive airlift of Kashechewan's 1,500 residents has been mounted. Military aircraft have been assigned the task of flying the residents out of their community for the near future, and taking them 1,000 kilometres away. And to observe the anything-but-unsettled countenances of the evacuating residents from published photographs, they are not devastated by this yearly event.

Their cheerfully beaming faces are those of people anticipating a holiday, a treat, a break from routine, an opportunity to see new places, other faces, and do some shopping and sightseeing. Much as was done last year, when many aboriginals were airlifted out to communities like Ottawa. These photographs are of happy tourists embarking on adventure.

After last year's evacuation - with nowhere near as severe flooding conditions given this year's unusual weather - a government-commissioned report recommended that the community be moved about 450 kilometres south to Timmins, a more socially reasonable and geographically and weather-conditions-related advantageous location.

Initially it seemed a workable option, one that might be accepted, but the Cree band then conducted a survey of its own, finding residents would prefer to remain within "traditional boundaries", moving a mere 35 kilometres up the Albany River. So that's why they're still there, and that, precisely, is why they're still subject to flooding conditions. And able to enjoy yearly vacations off site, handsomely paid for.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the three provinces, rivers and streams have overflowed their banks, flooding hundreds of roadways, affecting Montreal, Laval, Quebec City, Fredericton, Maugerville and Sheffield, as well as communities close by Ottawa. Residents of those affected communities are advised to evacuate their homes in expectation of heavy rains exacerbating current flood conditions.

The Canadian Red Cross has been at work setting up reception centres. And in various flood-prone communities volunteers and civic employees go door to door informing everyone of the flood risks, recommending they leave home for as long as needed. They're self-reliant and independent and will do what they can to help themselves.

Municipal and provincial agencies will step in to assist where they can, as needed. It's a yearly event. Such choices are made when building human habitation in flood-prone areas. Unfortunate, and temporary inconveniences. People are resigned, and so incredibly accepting of their vulnerabilities.