Volunteer group flying to Attawapiskat with relief supplies

A volunteer team from Durham Region is flying out to Attawapiskat Thursday to deliver water filters and relief supplies to the struggling northern Ontario reserve.

Temperatures are expected to reach a low of -28 degrees Celsius overnight. With the wind chill, it could be as cold as -41 C by Tuesday morning.

Plummeting temperatures and forecasted snow in Attawapiskat pushed the team's trip back one day, but the four-member Ontario Volunteer Emergency Response Team is well-prepared and ready to go this week, Amir Azimi, an OVERT water technician, told CTVNews.ca.

The team also includes a Durham Region police officer and two paramedics, one from Durham Region and one from Toronto. They will deliver 250 water purification systems, water purification tablets, 300 adult and child hygiene kits, medical supplies and thermal clothing.

Members of the Baagwatting Community Association, the charitable arm of the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino in Port Perry, Ont., have pledged $100,000 to help Attawapiskat residents in the midst of a housing crisis.

The Attawapiskat First Nation declared an emergency in October as temperatures dropped, putting at risk families living in ramshackle homes and tents. Some residents were forced out of their homes by toxic mould and lack of insulation.

Appeals for help from the troubled community raised questions about the Canadian government's management of First Nations reserves and sparked controversy over third-party management of Attawapiskat.

The Canadian Red Cross and organizations like OVERT have jumped in to help the residents get through a harsh winter.

Each of the 250 water purification systems OVERT delivers to Attawapiskat families can filter four million litres of water, Azimi said. The team will train people how to use the equipment, as well as distribute much-needed hygiene kits, medicine and thermal underwear, among other items.

The hygiene kits will especially benefit children who have developed rashes and other skin disorders from living in unsanitary conditions, Azimi said.

"They're dealing with things like bed bugs and lack of running water, so these (kits) should help them out," he said.

The team has chartered a plane, thanks to a generous pilot who is donating his time, and will leave from the Oshawa Municipal Airport on Thursday.

Experience has prepared OVERT members to work in Attawapiskat's freezing weather, Azimi said. The mercury will remain in double digits below zero over the next few days there.