The Four Arrows Regional Health Authority has published its Annual General Assembly highlights, giving residents of St. Theresa Point and three other Island Lake First Nations a summary of key health programs and services discussed at this year’s meeting. The infographic was posted on August 7, 2026, on the health authority’s website.
Four Arrows serves the communities of Garden Hill, St. Theresa Point, Red Sucker Lake, and Wasagamack, which together are home to about 17,000 people in fly-in locations roughly 450 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. The organization was created by those four First Nations to improve health conditions and services across the Island Lake region.
This year’s assembly comes during a challenging time for the region. On July 9, 2026, the four First Nations declared a regional public health emergency due to a toxic drug supply, rising HIV and hepatitis C infections, and homelessness. Since 2017, 93 people in the Island Lake area have been diagnosed with HIV, with 63 of those cases in St. Theresa Point alone.
Four Arrows runs a range of programs, including the Manitoba Anisininew Mobile Addictions Network (MAMAN), which offers addiction care such as opioid agonist therapy from a clinic near the Winnipeg airport. About 60 people in Garden Hill are currently on the waitlist for MAMAN. The health authority also delivers public health services like the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative and the Canada Pre-Natal Nutrition Program.
As of July 16, 2026, Manitoba had recorded 898 cases of hepatitis A across the province since September 2024, including 197 hospitalizations and seven deaths. A hepatitis A outbreak has been spreading across the Island Lake region since May 2025, affecting all four Anisininew Nations.
The Annual General Assembly is a yearly governance meeting where Four Arrows reviews its work and plans for the coming year. The published infographic gives community members a quick look at that discussion, including updates on ongoing health initiatives and the organization’s efforts to respond to the current public health emergency.
