A First Nation in northwestern Ontario had declared a state of emergency over escalating safety concerns around gang activity.
On Tuesday, leaders from Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg First Nation – also known as Pic Mobert First Nation – held a press conference at Queen’s Park to demand more support for what they’re calling “a crisis in violence, organized crime, addiction and mental health.”
“A series of violent incidents, inhumane delays in emergency response, and the unchecked presence of organized crime have left our citizens feeling scared, abandoned, and unsafe – even in their own homes.
“This is not an isolated or temporary situation. It is becoming the new normal,” Chief Louis Kwissiwa said in a news release issued Tuesday morning.
Between 350 and 400 people live in the Ojibwe community, which consists of two reserve lands located off Highway 17 along White Lake. The First Nation is about 55 kilometres east of the town of Marathon.
Pic Mobert is served by the Anishinabek Police Service and Marathon detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
Chief Kwissiwa told CBC’s Jonathan Pinto that they declared the state of emergency because people feel unsafe in the community, “There’s a lot of mental health issues. There’s a social issues, there’s addictions. With all of that, people are feeling really insecure. It’s the lack of policing, it heightens the crime, the organized crime, the human trafficking, you name it, all of that, it heightens.
He said they are asking the province for a commitment to adequate police funding. “We have a plan in place. We’re not asking them to fix it for us. We’re asking them to help us fix it, to assist us with our plan that we have.”
The First Nation has three key asks for the province:
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Consistent, timely law enforcement.
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More investments in detox, treatment and aftercare; the closest detox beds to the community are four hours away in Thunder Bay or Sault Ste. Marie.
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More equitable wraparound social services.
Elsewhere in northwestern Ontario, Fort William First Nation, which neighbours Thunder Bay, declared state of emergency in July over the community’s ongoing drug epidemic.
Not enough police officers in the area
A lack of police officers, and the distances they must travel to Pic Mobert, are one of the main issues when it comes to delayed response times, explained Paul Michtics, director of community safety for Pic Mobert and a retired OPP officer, during Tuesday’s press conference.
“Police patrols and presence for [less] than half of each month in our community is insufficient, and a stark contrast to the levels of service that other towns receive in the province of Ontario,” Michtics said.
Between 350 and 400 people live in Pic Mobert First Nation. Members of the leadership team say a shortage of police officers, social services and mental health and addictions support have led to a continued crisis in the community. (Pic Mobert First Nation/Facebook)
“We need to stop drug trafficking, violent crimes, weapons and illicit drug use. We need a police service that is present in the community, enforcing our local laws to disrupt and prevent these violent activities.”
The First Nation has four dedicated officers and wants to see that at least doubled, he said.
Three recent incidents prompted Pic Mobert to declare the state of emergency, according to the First Nation’s press release:
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A young man was held at gunpoint and beaten within the community, with a call for help taking four hours to receive a response.
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Another individual was stabbed multiple times, with the suspect roaming freely before being arrested.
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A home invasion involving armed offenders resulted in two offenders being at large in the community for a week, with the police insisting that there was no danger for the community.
CBC News has reached out to the Anishinabek Police Service for confirmation of these incidents, and for comment on the emergency declaration. This story will be updated once a response is received.
Sgt. Cam Ducharme, detachment commander of the Marathon OPP, told CBC News in an email Tuesday that while the Anishinabek Police Service primarily serves Pic Mobert, “the OPP provides support to First Nation police services with general law enforcement and investigative resources as requested.”
“The OPP is committed to providing adequate and effective policing to promote ongoing public safety in communities across Ontario and supports the provision of adequate resources to ensure effective policing options for First Nations,” Ducharme said.
Millions in debt from private security services
Pic Mobert First Nation says it’s accrued about $5 million in debt from installing security cameras, license plate readers, and retaining external emergency security services.
“Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg has taken many steps to address this crisis internally, but their capacity is finite – they have strained their community resources and incurred millions in debt, and more action continues to be urgently needed,” said Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa, critic for Indigenous and treaty relations, in a news release Tuesday.
Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa, seen at Queen’s Park in this September 2023 file photo. Mamakwa says Pic Mobert First Nation should not be paying millions of dollars for private security, and that the province should do more to enhance safety in the community. (Carlos Osorio/The Canadian Press)
“Once again, we are seeing a First Nation in Ontario in crisis because the government does not hold public safety in First Nations to the same standard as anywhere else in the province.”
At a separate news conference Tuesday morning, Ontario’s Solicitor General, Michael Kerzner, answered a question about Pic Mobert’s state of emergency declaration.
“What I can tell you is this: our commitment to public safety in the four corners of this province is completely unwavering — whether that’s a municipal police force … whether it is the OPP … or whether it is the First Nations police services,” said Kerzner, who said he would be briefed on the situation later in the day.
“We will leave no stone unturned in saying that our message of public safety is absolute and constant, and we will do what we need to do to ensure this is the case.”