By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source SANDY LAKE \u2013 Much land was \u201cdevastated\u201d by the forest fire that forced an evacuation of the Sandy Lake First Nation reserve, but luckily no lives were lost and the community\u2019s leadership has pulled through. That, in a nutshell, was Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa\u2019s assessment after a recent visit to the reserve some 230 kilometres northeast of Red Lake. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of land that\u2019s devastated\u201d in the area, Mamakwa told Newswatch in an interview Monday. \u201cIt was very emotional for some of the leadership to see some of their camps (and) cabins burnt down \u2026 (because) being on the land is a way of life,\u201d he said. Mamakwa said as he was leaving the fly-in community he could see… <\/p>\n
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source SANDY LAKE \u2013 Much land was \u201cdevastated\u201d by the forest fire that forced an evacuation of the Sandy Lake First Nation reserve, but luckily no lives were lost and the community\u2019s leadership has pulled through. That, in a nutshell, was Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa\u2019s assessment after a recent visit to the reserve some 230 kilometres northeast of Red Lake. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of land that\u2019s devastated\u201d in the area, Mamakwa told Newswatch in an interview Monday. \u201cIt was very emotional for some of the leadership to see some of their camps (and) cabins burnt down \u2026 (because) being on the land is a way of life,\u201d he said. Mamakwa said as he was leaving the fly-in community he could see... <\/p>\n