Supplied by Garden River First Nation…
April 4, 2020, Garden River, Ontario – As a direct result of the COVID-19 global pandemic crisis, Chief and Council of Garden River First Nation has declared a State of Emergency. This requires immediate action to prevent, reduce and mitigate infection to our citizens.

By authority of Chief and Council we are temporarily restricting access to our community along Highway 17B and all access points which runs through the main village of Garden River effective Sunday, April 5, 2020 at 12 noon and will be in place until May 1, 2020. If the pandemic continues to threaten the health of our community we will extend if necessary. The 4 Lane Highway 17 East (bypass) will not be affected by this closure.

This decision came down to the safety and protection of our most vulnerable who are our knowledge keepers, elderly, children and those members with underlying health conditions. Historically our people have been devastated by diseases such as smallpox and tuberculosis and are disadvantaged physically, financially and socially impacting our capacity to fight the COVID-19 virus.

In order to preserve our knowledge keepers and our way of life, it is important that we temporarily limit access to our community – just for the time being. As friends and neighbours, we hope that you understand that we are isolating for the preservation of our people. The door will open when we get through this crisis. We appreciate your patience and understanding.