Evacuation of First Nations communities in Ontario: Issues and recommended practices

This thesis examines issues, challenges, lessons learned, and best practices for Ontario municipalities when hosting First Nations evacuees. Municipalities that hosted First Nations evacuees in the past or stated interest in hosting evacuees in the future were engaged to participate in this study. Using a mixed-method research methodology, research participants carried out one-on-one telephone interviews or completed survey questionnaires. The research findings suggest that challenges faced by municipalities when hosting First Nations evacuees could be alleviated with an increase of knowledge of expectations and roles and responsibilities, development and enhancement of relationships with key stakeholders, including First Nations groups, and more proactive planning activities in the pre-evacuation stages. Recommendations are provided for (1) Ontario host municipalities, so they can better meet the needs of First Nations evacuees, and (2) Emergency Management Ontario, so it can assist municipalities to better prepare in effectively hosting these groups.