JTJon Thompson

1. Article · Aug 10, 2026 · Jon Thompson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Ricochet

   Repeated evacuations strain mental health in Northern Ontario (opens the original)

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   Nova Moonias is only two weeks old but she has already flown home to Neskantaga First Nation following an evacuation, and five days later, she was evacuated again. Nova’s mother Wanita was living in a Toronto hotel in July, after fleeing forest fires that threatened the northwestern Ontario fly-in community. The baby was expected on August 12, but medical professionals induced labour on July 28 so mother and child could fly back north with their family and neighbours. The three-day-old became

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2. Article · Jul 28, 2026 · Jon Thompson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Ricochet

   First Nations Chief says government MPP is lying about meeting with him (opens the original)

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   Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government insists it is improving communications with First Nations fleeing forest fires in the northwest, following heavy criticism last week. Chiefs, however, say little has changed. Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland claimed “there has been improved communication” in an interview published on Friday by TBnewswatch.com. Holland mentioned Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek (Gull Bay First Nation) Chief Wilfred King by name, among those communities who are ex

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3. Article · Jul 21, 2026 · Jon Thompson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Ricochet

   Union blasts Ford government for ‘mismanagement’ of forest firefighting efforts (opens the original)

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   As wildfires swallow swaths of northern Ontario, in what is already the worst wildfire season in the province’s history, the union representing forest firefighters is sounding the alarm over what he calls “government mismanagement at the highest levels.” Noah Freedman, vice president of Local 703 with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, says from human resources to aircraft, the province’s culture of relying on surge funding to pay for forest fires is costing Ontario a lot more t

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4. Article · Jul 19, 2026 · Jon Thompson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Ricochet

   Abandoned on the road to the Ring of Fire (opens the original)

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   Wet ash is falling through a slight mist over the fly-in northern Ontario community of Eabametoong (Fort Hope First Nation), 370 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay. On Wednesday, a high column of smoke plumed over the lake. By Friday, Chief Sol Atlookan found fires surrounding his community, and now they’re burning right across the bay. “It doesn’t matter where the wind’s coming from,” Atlookan says. “If it comes from the east, from the west, we’re still going to be smoked out. A

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• First Nations3 pieces
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• THUNDER BAY3 pieces
• Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek2 pieces
• Canadian Armed Forces2 pieces
• Gull Bay First Nation2 pieces
• Thunder Bay-Superior North2 pieces
• Whitesand First Nation1 piece
• Neskantaga First Nation1 piece
• Fort Hope1 piece
• British Columbia1 piece
• Natural Resource1 piece