Bearskin Lake Covid 19 Outbreak - State of Emergen

Our go fund me campaign is now closed. Thank you so much for your support. It is greatly appreciated.,

On December 29th, 2021, Bearskin Lake First Nation declared a state of emergency due to an outbreak of COVID 19 Omicron infections. 

Mr. Leonard (Wayne) Brown is a Band Councilor for Bearskin Lake First Nation. In our community, we have a Chief and Council and have a political office with an enormous responsibility of fulfilling the vision of the community while protecting Bearskin Lake First Nation’s treaty and aboriginal rights. Mr. Leonard Brown is one of the members of our community’s band council and took on the job in taking care of our community, along with another band council member and few other people, who did not test positive for COVID. Most of the community members and half of the Band Council were in isolation.  Bearskin Lake First Nation is a small, remote community with a population of 450. The first case was detected December 28, 2021 and 218 individuals have tested positive which roughly means fifty percent of the on-reserve population was infected. Those infected include the administrative and essential staff of the band’s administration, operations and maintenance unites. Most of our households were on lockdown order, even the ones who did not test positive, were living with members that did test positive. 

The funds that were raised through Go Fund Me will be withdrawn and deposited into the Bearskin Lake First Nation Administration account. These funds will be used to cover food, supplies and wood cutting/delivery expenses for the community members. The community was in full lockdown, so the covid-19 Omicron virus can be contained. Therefore, the community members were unable to go shopping for their necessities and to get wood to heat up their homes. Most of the houses depend on wood for warmth. And honorariums will be given to our frontline workers (the foot on the ground) and any other expenses that had occurred to safely run our community during the outbreak. The Chief and council had asked for support from the Canadian government and military to provide assistance but it did not happen. Our own local people stepped up to provide assistance to the community.