Shilo soldiers set to redeploy north

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This article was published 25/03/2021 (1899 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Canadian Armed Forces and military members from CFB Shilo are getting ready to deploy to northern Manitoba First Nations to vaccinate people against COVID-19.

Soldiers have arrived at the airport in Thompson to set up equipment for the 100-day effort to get COVID-19 vaccines to the most remote corners of Manitoba.

Work is ongoing to identify where exactly the military will be deployed, Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday, but planning is underway for Nelson House, Mathias Colomb, Island Lake and other communities.

The military will support vaccination programs in up to 23 communities with collaboration from First Nation community leadership, Miller said. The program will continue until at least June 30.

“Military members will support in many ways, from helping to co-ordinate the delivery of supplies to administering vaccines to patients and transporting community members to and from clinics where required,” he said.

The plan is to administer two doses of the Moderna vaccine to 50,000 adults in all 63 First Nations reserves in the province, and 21 communities that are near reserves.

Of those 84 communities, federal officials say the military will work in “up to 23” First Nations reserves. Those at risk of being evacuated due to potential wildfires or floods are the priority.

The teams include logistics and medical experts, and they’ll start leaving the Thompson staging centre as soon as March 29. The operation should wrap up by June 30.

The deployment will involve one Hercules plane, “a number of logistic vehicles” and up to two Chinook helicopters as well as Twin Otter planes.

“We’re going to deploy up to 200 military personnel consisting of medical personnel, command and control and general duties,” said Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre, the interim head of the military.

The majority of the soldiers deployed north will be from CFB Shilo, base public affairs officer Lori Truscott previously told the Sun.

A reconnaissance team from the Westman base was deployed to Thompson last week and returned on Monday.

A spokesperson for the Department of National Defence said the reconnaissance team was assessing the airfield at the Thompson Municipal Airport and establishing a staging hub there. At this point, reconnaissance teams haven’t yet been to any communities.

Exact numbers are still being assessed, the spokesperson said, but up to 200 military members could be deployed.

“As plans are finalized, the needs of the communities requiring assistance will emerge and the appropriate CAF resources will be identified to ensure an effective response,” an email from the department reads.

More military members are set to deploy to Thompson today to establish the staging hub. Actual operations are set to begin on March 29.

The Shilo soldiers will be assisted by a CC-130 Hercules aircraft, up to two CH-147 Chinook helicopters, up to two CC-138 Twin Otters and logistical vehicles.

“This will enable to surge the integrated inter-agency partner teams and meet the tailored needs of the supported communities,” the DND spokesperson said over email.

The deployment of soldiers from Shilo follows their deployment earlier this year and in late 2020 to assist during large COVID-19 outbreaks in northern Manitoba communities.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said Wednesday soldiers hunted, fished, cut firewood and assisted communities with essential tasks on earlier deployments.

Going forward, he said soldiers will help establish vaccine clinics in the communities and transport people to and from getting their vaccine.

“Together, we will make sure residents’ needs are met and local leaders are well supported in their efforts against COVID-19.”

Federal officials said they’d be willing to have the military visit northern communities that aren’t First Nations if Manitoba requested that, particularly those that have Métis populations.

“That this has been a very heated conversation, particularly with, with the provincial government. We continue to push the prioritization of Indigenous peoples as set forth in the (national advisory) guidelines,” Miller said in response to questions from the Winnipeg Free Press.

“We’re looking at a situation now where we are going to have a big lift and ensuring that that is done in Métis communities in a culturally respectful way is key.”

However, Manitoba Metis Federation president David Chartrand said he’s in the dark on how both the military effort and the broader northern vaccine campaign will work.

“It doesn’t help when you’ve got mental anguish and stress and fear in my communities, and they don’t know what to do or if they’ll be included,” he said.

The province has already transported vaccines to all 63 reserves, but they have not been shared with neighbouring communities, including those with large Métis populations.

Yet the province suggested it will switch course under the new 100-day vaccination plan, inviting people in adjacent communities onto First Nations reserves to get shots.

Chartrand said that was news to him.

He said his Métis contacts in these communities have no clue how the rollout will work.

The federation and the province have accused each other of ignoring correspondence, and the MMF has boycotted provincial meetings after being invited to working groups that had nothing to do with vaccine rollout planning.

The Sun requested an interview with a military member about the Shilo deployment on Wednesday but was told they were busy with work on the ground.

» dmay@brandonsun.com, with files from the Winnipeg Free Press

» Twitter: @DrewMay_