Mishkeegogamang | Bearskin Lake First Nation

Bearskin Lake First Nation is an Oji-Cree First Nation community situated in a boreal forest region, known for its traditional hunting and fishing lifestyle and remote location northwest of Thunder Bay.

POPULATION

994

Rank #331 nationally

GEOGRAPHY

126.3 KM²

Rank #105 nationally

BAND COUNCIL TERM

09/30/2027

Term Expiration

Conflict Score

Community Profile

Overview

Last Updated 2025-08-02 13:38:48 UTC

Name

Bearskin Lake (ISC Code: 207)

Former Names

Bearskin Lake Indian Reserve 22

Band Style

First Nation

Cultural Area

Subarctic

Indigenous Language

Oji-Cree

Number of Registered Members

994

Band Website

https://www.windigo.on.ca/bearskin-lake-first-nation

Phone Number

(807) 363-2518

Fax Number

(807) 363-1066

Address

PO BOX 25, BEARSKIN LAKE, ON

General Email

Not Available

Band Council

Governance Type

Not Applicable

Chief

LEON MARSHALL BEARDY

Term Expires

09/30/2027

Number of Council Members

LEON MARSHALL BEARDY

Chief

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

JENNIFER JOY FIDDLER

Councillor

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

RYAN RUSSELL NOTHING

Councillor

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

PHILLIP BOTTLE

Councillor

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

ARDELLE LILAH KAMENEWATAMIN

Councillor

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

BILLY GEORGE KAMENAWATAMIN

Deputy Chief

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

Administrative Contacts

Financial Overview

No expert reports available yet.

Band Financial Statements

2024 - Report Not Available

2023 - Report Not Available

2022 - Report Not Available

2021 - Report Not Available

2020 - Report Not Available

2019 - Report Not Available

2018 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2017 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2016 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2015 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2014 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2013 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2012 - Bearskin Lake20122013.pdf

2011 - Bearskin Lake20112012.pdf

2010 - Bearskin Lake20102011.pdf

2009 - Bearskin Lake20092010.pdf

2008 - Bearskin Lake20082009.pdf

2007 - Bearskin Lake20072008.pdf

2006 - Bearskin Lake20062007.pdf

2005 - Bearskin Lake20052006.pdf

2004 - Bearskin Lake20042005.pdf

2003 - Bearskin Lake20032004.pdf

2002 - Bearskin Lake20022003.pdf

2001 - Bearskin Lake20012002.pdf

Band Council Remuneration

2024 - Report Not Available

2023 - Report Not Available

2022 - Report Not Available

2021 - Report Not Available

2020 - Report Not Available

2019 - Report Not Available

2018 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2017 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2016 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2015 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2014 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2013 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

Band Owned Corporations

No Content Available

Laws, Bylaws, and Codes

No content available

Intergovernmental Agreements

No content available

Active Court Cases

No active court cases at this time.

Downloadable Court Records

Bearskin Lake Air Service Ltd. and U.F.C.W., Loc. 175 (Re)

Bearskin Lake First Nation v. Paul’s Hauling Ltd

Bearskin Lake First Nation. v. Paul’s Hauling Ltd

Location Map

Reserves

ISC Code: 6319
BEARSKIN LAKE
12626.3 Hectares
ON/SUR SHORE/RIVE OF/DE SEVERN RIVER
[nil, nil]

News Coverage Summary

No Content Available

Media Reports

SIU clears Thunder Bay, Ont., police of wrongdoing in First Nation woman's death

Northern First Nations' flags flying on Mount Everest

Wasaya Airways Welcomes New Chairman of the Board

Bearskin Airlines and Perimeter Aviation Form Strategic Partnership

NAN Executive Council Elected: Derek Fox New Grand Chief

June 14 2025: Northwest Ontario Wildfire Update: 24 Fires Active, Including Red Lake and Nipigon Fires of Note

Patty Hajdu puts forward ‘ambitious ask’ on Indigenous housing ahead of federal budget

In the Neskantaga First Nation, undrinkable water is a crisis of health and faith

This child-care and family centre in London, Ont., helps urban Indigenous families thrive

Ontario announces completion of Watay Power Transmission Project

‘It’s the power we have in ourselves:’ Advocate Tania Cameron is trying to change the system

Thunder Bay Indigenous group wants province to dissolve the municipal police force

COVID-19 in Indigenous communities: What you need to know

Feds providing $7M for Indigenous eco dev projects

Fourteen Ontarians Receive Awards Named in Honour of Former Lieutenant Governors

First Nations nurses find inspiration and reward in serving Indigenous communities

Isolation in an Overcrowded Home

First Nations candidates hope for continued growth of Indigenous vote

Bearskin Lake First Nation besieged by COVID-19 'overwhelmed' by donations, supplies from area communities

Indigenous leaders slam Ford’s 'racist' remarks; Ford apologizes

First Nations couple climbs to Mount Everest Base Camp

Wildfires prompt air quality statements across northwestern Ontario as evacuations continue

Lure of mining leaves First Nations struggling

Bearskin Airlines (Thunder Bay)

Ontario’s largest Indigenous-led energy project complete

As 2 dozen wildfires burn across northwestern Ontario, 4 First Nations still under evacuation

First Nations on back-end of water list hope Liberal promises don't run dry

Growing call for help amid COVID-19 outbreak at Bearskin Lake First Nation

Bearskin First Nation joins chorus calling for Rickford's resignation

Aroland, Bearskin Lake call out Ford government over Bill 5

Bearskin Lake Declares State Of Emergency

First Nations leaders, candidates reach out to mobilize Indigenous voters

Study: First Nations children’s health impacted by poor housing conditions

Former NAN Grand Chief to run for Liberals in Kenora-Kiiwetinoong

Candidate profile: Charles Fox

Charles Fox Selected at Liberal Candidate in Kenora—Kiiwetinoong

Indigenous Leaders: Mission accomplished, Watay Power declares on northwestern Ont. power line project

The 2025 federal candidates in brief: Kenora—Kiiwetinoong riding

Couple from northwestern Ontario wave their First Nations' flags at Mount Everest's base camp

The 2025 federal candidates in brief: Kenora—Kiiwetinoong riding

Firearms, drugs seized in northern Ont. First Nation raid

Ottawa sending help to Bearskin Lake First Nations community

Young First Nation advocates in northwestern Ontario call out candidates' silence on Indigenous issues

Bearskin Lake First Nation Energized by Wataynikaneyap Power

Bearskin Lake chief says community coping with COVID-19 outbreak, disappointed in federal support

Ontario asks for military support for Bearskin Lake First Nation

ADRA Canada Helps Coordinate Operation Home Safe After Log Jam Causes Flooding

Eight Firearms, Cocaine Seized in Bearskin Lake First Nation Drug Bust

First Nations girls suit up with donated gear for newly formed hockey team

Parliament passes Charlie Angus's motion to establish national suicide prevention action plan

Indigenous Leaders: Mission accomplished, Watay Power declares on northwestern Ont. power line project

North West Company: “We Stand with Indigenous People”

Northern Ontario First Nations not on board with lifting COVID-19 restrictions

Construction Complete on Largest Indigenous-led Energy Project in Ontario’s History

Missanabie Cree First Nation suing for increase in annuities payments for Treaty 9 members

Bearskin Lake COVID-19 cases ‘dropping quickly,’ no hospitalizations: Hajdu

Ontario’s largest Indigenous-led energy project complete

First Nations ownership group acquires a new partner

Former NAN grand chief says Bearskin Lake expecting more help from the federal government

“We are disappointed with Canada’s response” Bearskin Lake Chief Kamenawatamin

Charity provides laptops for remote northern First Nations

Bearskin Lake First Nation in Ontario calls for military help as COVID-19 infects nearly half the population

Canada’s ice roads are melting

Little Bands Native Hockey Tournament Grows in Popularity

Bearskin Airlines to offer new northern connections

What one child’s suicide says about Ontario’s approach to First Nations health

Child Suicide Is A Crisis In Canada. Here's How We Can Prevent It

COVID crisis has Bearskin Lake at breaking point: Chief

Bearskin Lake 'disappointed' in federal response to COVID-19 outbreak

Calls grow for Ottawa to 'step up' with military help for First Nation plagued by COVID-19 in Ontario

Bearskin Lake chief says community near ‘breaking point,’ needs urgent federal help

Canada’s ‘history of dishonesty’ continues as Bearskin Lake Nation battles COVID

Nishnawbe Aski First Nations elect a new grand chief

'This is a health crisis'- Ontario MPP calls for action after Bearskin Lake youth suicide

First Nations couple climbs to Mount Everest Base Camp

Bearskin Lake First Nation says Canada Day will be used as ‘day of mourning’

October 3, 2024: Weather Report for Northern Ontario First Nations Communities

Northern Ontario First Nations, federal NDP leader, renew calls for national suicide prevention strategy

First Nations emergency professionals gather in Thunder Bay, Ont., ahead of wildfire season

First Nations brace for labour challenges brought by Omicron-fuelled COVID-19 surge

Master’s program empowers Indigenous nurses to utilize their own teachings

Federal government investing nearly $7 million to support Indigenous-led economic development in Northern Ontario

2023 Alumni Honour Award: Mona Lisa Bourque Bearskin

First Nation celebrates ‘milestone’ electric connection

Accident points to ice road's failings

Feds break promise to eliminate all drinking water advisories in 2021, vow work will continue

Police constable draws praise for saluting funeral on Ontario First Nation

Nishnawbe Aski Nation fires its grand chief following misconduct

Long way home: For Indigenous youth, an epic road trip brings them back to their roots

60 years after he ran away from residential school, survivor searches for woman who helped him

SIU investigating death of Thunder Bay woman after police fail to respond to 911 calls

Few Canadians ever set foot on a First Nations reserve, and that's a problem: exclusive poll

Youth suicide in Ontario First Nation underscores 'fourth world' conditions, MPP says

Air quality statements issued for parts of northern Ontario due to prairie wildfire smoke

Construction complete on Ontario’s largest Indigenous-led energy project

As First Nations chiefs in northern Ontario call for health-care action, youth demand more involvement

First Nations in Ontario's northwest restrict travel, some in lockdown over Omicron concerns

First Nation wants Ottawa to help clean up plastic waste left behind by 27-year boil water advisory

SIU says first 2 calls to 911 involving First Nation woman's death in Thunder Bay not related to violence

3 northern First Nations in Ontario see spike in COVID-19 cases, prompting federal support

Federal support amid COVID 19 outbreak disappointing: Bearskin Lake First Nation

Parents of First Nations woman who died in Thunder Bay seek justice after police don't respond to 911 calls

Muskrat Dam and Bearskin Lake Announced Utility Road Completed

Indigenous-led economic development projects get federal funding boost

Fednor Investment Supports Strategic Economic Planning in Bearskin Lake First Nation

COVID-19 case counts spike in Mishkeegogamang and Eabametoong First Nations in northern Ontario

Wataynikaneyap Power Energizes Remote First Nation Communities

Since 1977, Ottawa has spent billions trying – and failing – to bring clean water to every reserve

Bearskin Lake chief ‘disappointed’ with Ottawa’s response to COVID crisis

Feds promise to do all they can for Bearskin Lake in Ontario, but no word on military help

Ottawa looking into Ontario's request for military help for First Nation amid COVID-19 surge, Hajdu says

Keewaywin First Nation woman raises over $20K to help neighbours in Bearskin Lake

Canadian Rangers in Bearskin Lake First Nation helping with COVID-19 outbreak

Test positivity rate tops 50% over 2 days in Bearskin Lake as First Nation in Ontario in emergency state

How Bearskin Lake's chief led his community through COVID-19 crisis

Frustration mounts in Bearskin Lake with 6 Canadian Rangers helping with COVID-19 relief

Bearskin Lake First Nation connects to Ontario power grid

Nishnawbe Aski Nation holds emergency meeting in Ottawa amid surge in sudden deaths on First Nations

How the COVID-19 outbreak in Bearskin Lake shows Canada needs to boost crisis response in First Nations

More air quality statements issued in northwestern Ontario First Nations with conditions expected to worsen

Bearskin Lake First Nation pulls the plug on diesel power

A couple from northwestern Ontario proudly wave their First Nations' flags at Everest Base Camp

A small, isolated community in northwestern Ontario has a major outbreak

Opinion | Ravaged by COVID, Bearskin Lake is in crisis and needs our help

COVID-19 in Bearskin Lake First Nation: The story so far

#TheMoment a couple waved their First Nations' flags on Mount Everest

Bearskin Lake First Nation welcomes the “The line that brings light”

Two Indigenous nurses pave the way to overcoming a colonial past to lead in health care

First Nations ownership group acquires a new partner

Couple from northwestern Ontario wave their First Nations' flags at Mount Everest's base camp

First Nations couple climbs to Mount Everest Base Camp

Academic Research

Rooted in Ancestral Lands: Sharing the Knowledge Through Indigenous Storywork

The Skylore of an Indigenous People: The Case of the Performance Art and Traditional Beliefs of the Lenape Delaware (Algonquian) of the Northeastern …

Nursing, Indigenous health, water, and climate change

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

northern exposure

Mâmawoh Kamâtowin," Coming together to help each other in wellness": Honouring Indigenous Nursing Knowledge

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Decolonization the what, why and how: A treaties on Indigenous nursing knowledge

Bearskin Diary

Big Arms-The Transformation of an Indigenous Name

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

The Skylore of an Indigenous People: The Case of the Performance Art and Traditional Beliefs of the Lenape Delaware (Algonquian) of the Northeastern …

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Bearskin Diary

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Bearskin Diary

Truth to Action: Lived Experiences of Indigenous Healthcare Professionals Redressing Indigenous-Specific Racism

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Exploring the unique aspects of the northern social economy of food through a complexity lens

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

The Bearskin Quiver: A Collection of Southwestern American Indian Folktales

The Skylore of an Indigenous People: The Case of the Performance Art and Traditional Beliefs of the Lenape Delaware (Algonquian) of the Northeastern …

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

Ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources on bear-human relationships in Native Eastern North America

Bearskin Diary

Band Publications

No Content Available

Third Party Reports

No Content Available