First Nations flooding evacuees slowly trickle home

As the country watches flood relief efforts in Alberta, more than 100 people in northeastern Ontario are still waiting to go home after the spring melt damaged their houses.

Dozens of homes in Kashechewan and Attawapiskat were flooded when sewer systems backed up in early May, displacing more than 200 people from Kashechewan and couple dozen more from Attawapiskat.

People have been staying in Kapuskasing while their homes are repaired.

Fire chief Gerry Demeules said it's not clear how long it will take for all the homes to be fixed.

"Being up the coast like that, we just can't go down to [the] local construction store or hardware store and go pick up some supplies," the emergency co-ordinator said. "It takes a while for these items to be shipped up there."

Demeules said people are going home each week as their houses are fixed, but about half of the initial evacuees remain in Kapuskasing.

"We are hoping to get the contractor on board to find out exactly, give us timelines … for the people," Demeules added.

"They need to know this."

In the meantime, he said life is continuing on as normally as possible. A graduation ceremony was held earlier this week for students at a makeshift school created for evacuees.