GTA welcomes 200 northwestern Ontario wildfire evacuees, rescue efforts ongoing
About 200 northwestern Ontario residents fleeing active forest fires landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport last night, and more evacuees continue to arrive today.
Brent Ross, spokesperson for the Solicitor General’s Office, confirmed to CTV News Toronto that residents from Cat Lake First Nation left their homes to escape the fires and are currently being hosted in Mississauga and Peel Region.
Ross said more evacuees are expected to arrive later today, but he could not speculate on the number of incoming travellers due to the “fluid nature” of firefighting efforts.
“The ministry would like to thank Peel Region and the City of Mississauga as well as the many community organizations for assisting the evacuees during this difficult time,” Ross said in a statement to CTV News Toronto.
Evacuation efforts have prioritized vulnerable populations, including those who would be most impacted by the safety concerns associated with wildfire smoke, Ross said.
Northwestern Ontario residents arrive at Toronto Pearson International Airport on July 23, 2021. CTV/ Tom Podolec.
In addition, four other communities have been evacuated. Deer Lake First Nation and Poplar Hill First Nation residents have fully vacated, amounting to 898 and 647 people displaced, respectively. Like Cat Lake First Nation, efforts to evacuate North Spirit Lake First Nation residents is ongoing.
Approximately 1,096 people have left Pikangikum First Nation and 99 have departed from North Spirit Lake First Nation.
The Solicitor General’s Office says the province will continue to work with First Nation communities, municipalities, the federal government and the NGO sector to ensure anyone impacted by the wildfires is protected.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.