(file photo/meadowlakeNOW staff)

By Elliott Knopp

Lemaigre Housing

Clearwater River Dene Nation cancer patient concerned with lack of living arrangement post-treatment

Jul 23, 2021 | 2:50 PM

A 68-year-old cancer patient residing in Clearwater River Dene Nation is sharing his concerns about how his quality of life will be affected by his current living situation once he returns to his community after surgery.

Last October, Lemaigre was left without a home after his house burned down. Following this incident, he started reaching out to band leadership for assistance in removing the debris and securing new housing. He was expecting to receive support from local leaders, but Lemaigre explained his challenges would only increase from this point.

“I talked to one of the councillors about getting me a house, and she told me it wasn’t going to happen. I asked them when they were going to help me with housing, and they said they already helped me,” he claimed.

His home was not insured at the time of the incident as he claimed a member with the band office had told him they would take care of it after mentioning his request.

Lemaigre had previously received some assistance from the band with building his old house only four years ago. After losing his home, Lemaigre turned to a friend for support, receiving a camper trailer to live in until a new home is acquired. While the unit served as a temporary fix, new developments with Lemaigre’s health have resulted in the trailer no longer being an adequate shelter.

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“I finished my chemotherapy on July 13, after I gain my strength back, I’m going to get surgery. My doctor told me I need to have running water and proper housing.”

Only days after completing a six-week round of chemotherapy to combat his colon cancer, Lemaigre is preparing to have surgery to further remove the cancer. After the procedure, he is expected to return to his community and recover from the operation. Knowing about the living situation, Lemaigre claimed his doctor wrote a letter to the band informing them of the importance of a new living arrangement.

“Because I don’t have running water at home, my doctor wrote a letter to chief and council, they haven’t gotten back to me yet. The guy in council who was fighting for me all of the time got voted out, so I have nobody now. I don’t know who to talk to. It seems like they don’t care about me.”

Despite these claims, Lemaigre further stated he still hasn’t received any indication that the band has intentions of offering new accommodations post-surgery. He added the remains of his former home are still in place, and there hasn’t been any updates on when the debris will be cleared from the area.

meadowlakeNOW reached out to Clearwater River Dene Nation for a response to these claims, but did not receive a response at the time of publishing.

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elliott.knopp@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp