News release: Helping Indigenous communities in their fight against COVID-19

Toronto, Canada—Hatch has responded to the needs of two remote Indigenous communities by delivering care packages of cleaning supplies to every family of Webequie and Marten Falls First Nation communities. This delivery totaled 300 bundles with enough household cleaning supplies to last up to six months. With the onset of COVID-19, remote communities face many unique challenges including an increased demand for safety supplies, a disrupted supply chain, and restricted community access. Providing household cleaning supplies is a practical and effective way to help community members protect their homes in the fight against COVID-19.

The First Nation communities of Webequie and Marten Falls are both located in northern Ontario, Canada, more than 500 kilometers from the nearest major city or town. As is the case with other remote communities across Canada, there is currently no all-weather road that runs to either community. Land access is only available during the winter months by ice roads, making access only available by plane during this time of year. COVID-19 is a tremendous threat to all, but is particularly challenging for Indigenous communities.

“We can all recall the feeling of going to local stores and seeing empty shelves for the first time during COVID-19, but we still had the option to go to the next store down the street. Imagine having empty shelves and the only way to get to the next store is by airplane. Everyone should have access to supplies needed to keep their families safe. Our instinct was to help both communities, so we didn’t waste any time and shipped the supplies immediately,” said Chelsie Klassen, global director, Indigenous Engagement at Hatch.

For more information on Hatch’s efforts in the fight against COVID-19, please visit https://www.hatch.com/en/About-Us/About-the-Company/COVID19/COVID19.

For more information, please contact:

Lindsay Janca
Global Director, Public Relations
Tel: +1 905 403 4199
Email: media@hatch.com

About Hatch

Whatever our clients envision, our engineers can design and build. With over six decades of business and technical experience in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors, we know your business and understand that your challenges are changing rapidly. We respond quickly with solutions that are smarter, more efficient and innovative. We draw upon our 9,000 staff with experience in over 150 countries to challenge the status quo and create positive change for our clients, our employees, and the communities we serve.

Find out more on www.hatch.com.