‘We need help big time’: Shamattawa First Nation chief declares state of emergency following fire

Shamattawa First Nation Chief Jordna Hill issued a state of emergency on Monday, after an electrical fire destroyed a nine-unit elders complex because the community's only fire truck was in Winnipeg for repairs. Hill said that the community is still running off-grid on diesel fuel and experiencing water quality issues and that residents — seventy per cent of whom are younger than 30 — are also grappling with addictions.