Boy, 12, arrested in Shamattawa fire, but younger kids can't be charged, police say

A 12-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with a fire that destroyed the only grocery store and the band officeinShamattawa, crippling some essential services inthe remote northern Manitoba community.

The boy was one of six children who RCMP believe were involved in setting the blaze on Thursday afternoon. The other five children are under 12 and cannot be charged.

A state of emergency was declared in Shamattawa after the firerazedthe Northern Storeand the band office and damaged the community's radio station and 911service.

"It's very tragic," Shamattawa Chief Jeffrey Napaokesik told CBC News after RCMP announced the arrest on Friday.

There is no road access toShamattawa. All food and supplies must be flown into the isolated community, which is about 745 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

• Shamattawa declares state of emergency

RCMP say officers from the Shamattawa detachment were called to a fire at the band office around 4 p.m. CT. By the time they arrived, the building which housed both the band office and thestore was in flames.

Police officersand firefighters battled the blaze as it burned through the night, causing extensive damage to the building, police said in a release Friday.

Napaokesik said people were out of the band office to attend a funeral in the communitywhen the fire was started.

"I suppose a kid slipped into the office, and we're told that [the child] set one of the sofa chairs on fire," he said.

"By the time anyone knew, there was smoke in the building and everybody evacuated."

RAW: Fire destroys Shamattawa grocery store and band office (courtesy: Silas Redhead)

8 years ago

Duration 0:20

A remote Manitoba First Nation has declared a state of emergency after a fire destroyed the community's only grocery store along with its band office Thursday.

The 12-year-oldhas been released on a promise to appear in court. An RCMP spokesperson said the boy will be chargedwhen he makes his first court appearance.

• 'RCMP should not criminalize' boy, 12, accused in Shamattawa fire, chief says

RCMP say the other five children who they believe wereinvolved in starting the firecannot be charged because the Youth Criminal Justice Act sets 12 as the minimum age of criminal responsibility. Police could not say how old the children were, except they were all under the age of 12.

Investigators with Manitoba's Office of the Fire Commissioner areheading to the community Friday.

Napaokesiksaid there have been a number of fires inShamattawain recent months, and he's searching for answers about what happened in this case.

"I don't have an answer for that one. We can only blame ourselves for not keeping things safe and, you know, patrolling the area and things of that nature," he said.

Essentials being flown up

The Canadian Red Cross, which is providing assistance to Shamattawaon behalf of the federal government, loaded the following items ontoaPerimeter Aviation flight bound for the community on Friday afternoon:

• 864 litres of bottled water.
• 7,600 diapers.
• 950 containers of baby formula.
• 480 cans of Ensure-brandadult nutrient supplement.
• 190 packs of baby wipes.
• 1,200 Red Cross hygiene kits with toothbrushes, toothpaste and otherpersonal hygiene items.

"We're working with the leadership and they have a team within the community that will take it to the central location and distribute it to the people based on need," saidShawn Feely, the Red Cross's vice-president for Manitoba and Nunavut.

Feely said the government asked the organization to identify the community's immediate needs.

"People are rather concerned. They're a little bit shaken," hesaid, adding that the fire has also affected telephone service in Shamattawa.

"The chief and the leadership of the community are working hard to communicate with us. We do have some phone lines available every once in a while, but it's a little bit spotty and I'm sure that they're working to get those up and running."

Meanwhile, the Winnipeg-based North West Company, which owns the Northern Store, says it is sending pallets of food to Shamattawa, working with the Red Cross to co-ordinate flights.

"We'll be delivering a shipment by air into the community that should arrive this afternoon and that will include staplefood products water, infant formula, some fruit and vegetables,"Derek Reimer, the North West Company's director of business development, said Friday morning.

"We are looking at about six to eight pallets of food. I believe the aircraft can hold about 12,000 pounds, so it's quite substantial," he added. "Hopefully, it will be sufficient to meet the emergency needs of the community."

Christine Reimer, vice-president of sales, added that the company is grateful no one was injured in the fire.

"We are committed to the residents of Shamattawa and are grateful that the fire was contained and everyone is safe," she added.

Feely said the Red Cross is working in conjunction with the North West Company to ensurethere is no duplication of supplies or services being sent to Shamattawa.

The North West Company saysa temporary Northern Store will be set up in the communitywithin the next few days, although officials have not yet decided on its location.

Winnipeg group collecting donations

The fire hitclose to home for Michael Redhead Champagne, founder of the Winnipeg community group Aboriginal Youth Opportunities and an organizer of the weekly Meet Me at the Bell Tower gatherings.

"I was horrified," said Redhead Champagne, whose home community is Shamattawa.

"It just makes me feel frustrated that those types of challenges continue to happen on First Nations, in our community, in our country."

Redhead Champagne encouragedpeople to bring donations to Friday'sMeet Me at the Bell Tower meet-up on Selkirk Avenue at 6 p.m.

"What we're really looking for is food, water, but especially we want to get diapers and baby formula because there's a lot of little kids up there right now that need it," he said.

Winnipeggers donate to Shamattawa after blaze destroys lone store in remote community

8 years ago

Duration 0:47

Winnipeggers dropped of food and other donations for the First Nation community of Shamattawa on Selkirk Avenue Friday at the weekly Meet Me at the Bell Tower event. The only store in the remote northern Manitoba community was destroyed in a fire Thursday.

Dozens arrived and dropped off anassortmentof items for the First Nation.

"Right now we're in conversation with some of the airlines to see what we can do about getting everything transported up there," Champagne added.

Perimeter Aviation, which flies to communities throughoutManitoba and northwestern Ontario, is also collecting donations of food and baby supplies.