Ontario has asked for the military to be sent to Bearskin Lake First Nation to help the northern community with its rapidly growing COVID-19 outbreak.
The formal request comes five days after Chief Lefty Kamenawatamin publicly asked Ottawa for military support. Pressure on the federal government has been growing throughout the week, as case counts have risen and staff have become overwhelmed, despite assistance from other nearby First Nations.
At least 200 people in Bearskin Lake — a community of roughly 400, some 600 kilometres north from Thunder Bay — have tested positive for the virus in the last 10 days. More than half of the community is