The Multiplex will be one place where Yellowknifers seek refuge should an evacuation alert turn into an evacuation order, Mayor Rebecca Alty said during a Tuesday evening press conference.
The mayor said that particular building has been selected because it’s considered a non-combustible structure, it will be protected by sprinklers and it has little vegetation around it.
When Behchoko residents were forced to evacuate in July, the Multiplex was designated for them. It accommodated 331 people, but that was reduced to 236 people for overnight stays.
Where exactly other Yellowknifers would go wasn’t abundantly clear on Tuesday evening.
“We’d be working with ECC (Department of Environment and Climate Change) if we had to, and the rest of the GNWT and probably the federal government if we had to escalate the order to other areas of town,” Alty said. “If anything changed, we would work with the territorial and federal government on further action.”
An evacuation alert was issued for residents of Kam Lake, Grace Lake and the Engle Business District on Tuesday evening as wildfire ZF015 had advanced to 16 km from the city at its nearest point.
Health and Social Services Minister Julie Green, who also participated in the press conference, said Elders from the Northern Lights long-term care home in Fort Smith were initially moved to Hay River, and when Hay River was evacuated on Sunday, the whole group moved to Stanton Legacy in Yellowknife.
“However, Stanton Legacy was only a short-term measure because the building is not open and equipped, and they are also quite short of staff for all these extra patients,” Green said.
The NWT Health and Social Services Authority has decided to transport the residents to more appropriate locations that can meet their needs. They are in the process of relocating long-term care clients to Calgary, Edmonton and Fort McMurray. Some may also be relocated to facilities elsewhere within the NWT, where capacity exists.