FORT ALBANY - Fort Albany First Nation has declared a state of emergency and begun a full-scale evacuation in response to worsening flood conditions along the Albany River.
As of late Tuesday night (April 29), community leadership issued the highest level of alert following new information about rising water levels and the potential overflow of the Anderson Causeway, a key connector within the community.
Residents of Anderson Island were urged to relocate immediately to Sinclair Island for safety.
The first 185 evacuees are expected to depart today, with Cochrane named as the initial host community.
Last night, the community also prepared for a possible nighttime emergency, announcing that fire trucks would use sirens to alert residents if needed.
The school gymnasium and community hall have been designated as emergency shelters.
SEE: Rapidly rising river has Fort Albany bracing for flooding
Canadian Rangers have been activated to assist with evacuation efforts, while security teams continue to monitor river conditions around the clock.
Around 11 a.m. today, Fort Albany issued another update regarding Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) plan to increase the flow at the Kenogami Dam — located 550 kilometres upstream — from one cubic metre per second to 50 cubic metres per second.
However, leadership noted that the expected increase amounts to only one per cent of the river’s current flow near Fort Albany and will take at least two weeks to reach the community.
The flood situation in Fort Albany has escalated quickly in recent days.
On Monday, the community issued a pre-emptive evacuation order due to high risk of flooding. That same day, neighbouring Kashechewan First Nation began its own full-scale evacuation after initially relocating about 250 vulnerable residents to Timmins earlier in the month.
Fort Albany’s emergency management coordinator Amy Nakogee is overseeing registration for evacuees. The First Nation is working closely with Emergency Management Ontario and other agencies to coordinate transportation and logistics.
Residents are being urged to monitor community updates, listen for emergency signals, and assist one another as the evacuation unfolds.