After weeks away due to wildfires, some evacuees in Saskatchewan are now able to return home, while others continue to wait for the all-clear from officials.
The Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation has permitted residents of Pelican Narrows who are in good health and have access to transportation to return.
Evacuees from Weyakwin also received the go-ahead over the weekend.
However, for many others the wait continues, bringing with it emotional and financial strain.
“We want to get home,” said evacuee Jessie Lariviere. “It was nice for a few days here, but it gets really expensive, very expensive, and right now, we’re really not having any help from anybody.”
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Joe Rett, another evacuee, said some have lost their homes entirely. “We lost a few houses, so it’s going to be a while for (all of) us to go back home … The cleanup is going to take a while, and the rebuild. All the memories are gone from the families who’ve lost their homes.”
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) spokesperson Steve Roberts urges evacuees to proceed with caution, emphasizing the need to check what services are available before returning to their communities.
Basic services, such as water and electricity, could be disrupted. Hospital care, cell service, and stocked grocery stores may take some time to become fully operational again.
“There’s a lot of factors, it’s not a one-size-fits-all,” Roberts said. “When people return to their communities, (they need to be) well aware of what resources are there. It might not be exactly vibrant and stocked and in the exact same conditions because it’s been unoccupied for a number of weeks.”
As smoke levels and access remain concerns in some northern regions, Roberts says those with health conditions should consider postponing their return. He added that the decisions as to who gets to return are made through collaboration with local leadership.
“So we do an assessment, we share that with community leaders. Ultimately, community leaders will decide which communities and which members of those communities should be returning and on what time frame,” he said.
Officials say assessments are ongoing, and additional return authorizations may be announced in the coming days.
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