Why northern First Nations still rely on diesel fuel — and what could power the coveted Ring of Fire

NESKANTAGA FIRST NATION - This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.

—The fumes coming through the walls of Neskantaga First Nation's nursing station warned of a crisis with a familiar smell.

Diesel wafted from the flooded basement, a stench so strong it made people sick with headaches and nausea, residents said.

After they detected the scent, the building was shut down and with it the community’s only healthcare centre. Local leaders declared a state of emergency and more than half the community’s residents, including vulnerable children and elders, fled to Thunder Bay.

The suspected diesel leak this past April was not just an accident, but a reminder of the remote First Nation's ramshackle infrastructure and the polluting, expensive fuel that powers it.

"It's a nuisance," said