Federal red tape leaves Ontario First Nation in ashes

Collins First Nation, unrecognized by Ottawa despite its members having status, was forced to self-evacuate from a wildfire and is being denied emergency aid available to other communities, its lawyer says.

A lawyer representing a small Ontario First Nations community that was burned to the ground by a raging wildfire says it’s being deprived of necessary help because the federal government doesn’t recognize it as a First Nation. Residents of Collins First Nation , located some 200 kilometres from Thunder Bay, were forced to self-evacuate earlier this week in advance of fast-moving fires. Their lawyer Meaghan Daniel wrote a letter to Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty calling on her department to treat the First Nation the same as any other community and to provide it with emergency, recovery and reconstruction supports available to recognized communities under the Indian Act .

Residents of Collins are recognized as First Nations under the Indian Act but the community itself is not, despite its leaders pressing Ottawa for such recognition for decades. Daniel says the First Nation does not have the luxury of waiting while jurisdictional and administrative questions are sorted out. Download the CTV News app now Sign up for breaking news alerts Get daily newsletters with the top local stories emailed to your inbox She says every day that passes without clarity affects decisions about housing, infrastructure, governance and the future of the entire community.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2026. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press