Leonard Mamakeesic says he learned a lot during this year's wildfire season after his community was threatened by Ontario's largest wildfire on record.

The chief of Deer Lake First Nation, a remote Oji-Cree community about 600 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, said his people stepped up to help one another during this summer's evacuation, which saw more than 800 members flown to Toronto.

“The weeks dragged on and on, and the months dragged on and started getting a little rough. People wanted to be home,” Mamakeesic said. “Toronto is a concrete jungle for people” from the community.

Leonard Mamakeesic, chief of Deer Lake First Nation, says his community members all worked hard to support one another during this summer's wildfire evacuation. (Sarah Law/CBC)

The province’s wildfire

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