With fire defences essentially in place, the City of Yellowknife is bidding farewell to numerous volunteers.
“Now that we have completed the fire protection work and the situation has stabilized, we have reviewed the number of people required to assist with any remaining tasks. As a result of this assessment, we have determined that we no longer require the same level of support and will be reducing the size of the team,” city manager Sheila Bassi-Kellett wrote in a letter circulated on Saturday.
“This also means that the city will be scaling back support and will no longer be providing meals or other supports to you as a volunteer. This change will let us make the most of our limited resources to continue with the first responder effort. We thank you for your contributions to our efforts and encourage you to take this time to get some well-deserved rest.”
Bassi-Kellett encouraged those departing the city to follow the latest guidance from the territorial government relating to road conditions and evacuating safely.
She described the last few weeks as “some of the most challenging our community has ever faced.”
“Again, I would like to thank you for all you’ve done for Yellowknife. Please be proud of what you’ve accomplished, take some time for yourself if you can, and most importantly, stay safe,” she wrote.