NIAGARA FALLS — Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati has apologized after comments made about Kashechewan evacuees were widely criticized by First Nations leaders in Northern Ontario.
Earlier this week, Diodati met with Kashechewan Chief Hosea Wesley to talk about the June 23 presentation on the city’s Unhoused and Vulnerable Populations Action Plan, during which it was said people assume First Nations evacuees are homeless.
SEE: First Nations leaders reject ‘homeless’ label for Kashechewan evacuees in Niagara Falls
In a statement issued today (July 3), Diodati said the meeting gave both leaders a chance to talk openly about how the recent comments were received.
“Our intentions to gain support for families and for the community were good, but comments can be misinterpreted,” he said.
“I am sorry that my comments caused hurt within the Kashechewan First Nation and broader Indigenous community. I apologize and I take responsibility for that, as I stand by the positive intentions of the report. No disrespect was intended.”
Niagara Falls has been a host city for First Nations communities during evacuations. People from Kashechewan, a remote community on the James Bay coast, have been in the city since January due to failures in their water system.
While the Niagara report asked for provincial and federal support for host communities, retired CAO Ken Todd, who created it, also said that the city had done “more than its fair share” by housing about 1,100 of Ontario’s roughly 1,700 evacuees. and argued the city had done “more than its fair share.”
He also said many residents see Indigenous people walking around the city and assume they are homeless. He added that Niagara Falls wants to remain “the jewel of tourism in Ontario.”
Those comments led to strong reactions from First Nations leaders.
Wesley said Kashechewan residents are “displaced, not homeless,” and that the discussion should focus on the infrastructure failures that forced the evacuation.
TimminsToday also spoke with Mattagami First Nation Chief Jennifer Constant and Mushkegowuk Council Deputy Chief Natasha Martin. Both said the comments blamed people already going through a crisis.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, Mushkegowuk Council Grand Chief Leo Friday, and Ontario NDP members also criticized the remarks. They called for governments to address long-standing infrastructure problems and provide more support for both host communities and evacuees.
“Communities can do better, but we need support,” Diodati said in Friday’s release, adding that families displaced for months need places to gather and build community while away from home.
Wesley also described the meeting positively in the release.
“Our people have been here for six months with positive relations in Niagara Falls,” he said in the release.
“I had to speak up for our community and share our voice. We are looking forward to ongoing dialogue with our host community while we are here.”
The mayor said both leaders agreed to keep working together.
“We both listened and we both learned,” Diodati said in the release. “We will keep the lines of communication open as creating even stronger cultural relationships and friendships is more of a journey than a destination.”
A solidarity walk is being held today in Niagara Falls. It ends at Niagara Falls city hall, where Diodati plans to meet with Wesley and the group.
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative
Original Published on Jul 03, 2026 at 09:08
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