An approaching snowstorm has delayed the transportation of 2,100 northern Ontario residents threatened by flooding.

Only 47 people from Kashechewan were moved to safety Saturday, while more than 250 had already been transported on Friday.

Other far northern Ontario communities being monitored include Moose Factory, Attawapiskat and Moosonee.

A government spokesperson issued a statement Saturday afternoon saying that Defence Minister Peter MacKay has directed the military to assist in the evacuations with aircraft.

The statement also said helicopters and airplanes from the Department of Natural Resources were assisting in the operation and that the government is in touch with First Nations leaders to monitor the situation.

Earlier Saturday, Fort Albany deputy chief Andew Linklater said officials had done little to help his community.

"There's water to the west of us that would release miles of ice at any moment if the water doesn't recede," told CTV Newsnet.

"We've had this on our minds all night, and we've had no response from EMO (Emergency Management Ontario) as they should have."

The community's hospital has been evacuated, and seniors and others who should receive priority in a mass transportation have been identified, Linklater said.

"But they're still here. If an evacuation does take place, it's just going to go on all day," he said.

Fort Albany, a community of about 450, sits on the Albany River close to its confluence with James Bay. Part of the community is located on an island.

"A good percentage of people are at the school," Linklater said, adding it was built on higher foundations to provide shelter in the event of flooding.

Kashechewan

The southern Ontario communities of Stratford, St. Marys and other communities in Perth County may provide a home away from home for the residents of Kashechewan forced to leave their community.

On Friday, those airlifted were taken to nearby northern Ontario communities like Cochrane, Greenstone and Sault Ste. Marie.

The evacuation had been planned for about a year.

Barry Radford, a spokesman for Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources, said Friday that conditions this year are particularly bad.

"This year we're experiencing the highest water level flows and ice that we've seen in sometime, the last time we saw anything near this magnitude was in 2006 and we're well above those flow levels," he said.

The evacuation is expected to last six to eight weeks.

Kashechewan became notorious after a tainted water scare. That problem and chronic flooding worries led to the announcement of a $200 million plan to rebuild the reserve, located 450 kilometres north of Timmins, Ont.

With files from The Canadian Press