Running water, housing needed by First Nations in Canada

Documentary by Jennifer Hough  

In 2014, I travelled to Pikangikum, a remote fly-in community in northern Ontario, Canada. Few in the community have running water or sewage and most are not connected to the grid – though they do have power through a diesel generator.

The houses are seriously overcrowded, sometimes with three or four generations living in them.

The knock-on effect for youth is catastrophic, as outlined in a coroner’s report in 2011.

A community-led forestry initiative is set to provide many jobs in the future. Construction has begun on a federally funded $55 million school, and a police-led youth intervention programme is having great results.

In 2014, I travelled to Pikangikum, a remote fly-in community in northern Ontario, Canada. Few in the community have running water or sewage and most are not connected to the grid - though they do have power through a diesel generator. The houses are seriously overcrowded, sometimes with three or four generations living in them.