Plans for Eabametoong First Nation’s temporary school progressing after fire razed 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 arson.

But cleanup efforts are underway to remove debris from the John C. Yesno Education 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 community, 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 Atlookan is hopeful it will be ready for September.

"There's a real positive feeling that we are going to open a school for our children 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 disruptions to their education.

On Feb. 16, federal Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu met with Atlookan in Thunder Bay and committed to helping the community build the temporary 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 Hajdu'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 resources, additional teachers, supplies and essential mental health services for the students.

"The federal government will be there for the people of Eabametoong as they recover 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 unseasonably 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 temporary school are starting to arrive, Atlookan said.

"We've got some items now that came in through the winter road, some storage 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 community for students to continue classes as usual.

Meanwhile, more than a dozen Grade 9 students have been sent to complete their semester at the Matawa Education 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 Indigenous 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 provide 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 also expressed interest in visiting.

Planning for a new school in Eabametoong was underway before the fire. Atlookan said that process will continue once the temporary school is constructed.

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