People who aren’t in a hurry to return to Yellowknife or are being asked to stay away for health reasons currently have until Sept. 8 to enjoy free accommodations, assuming they can find them.
An update was given during a 4 p.m. press conference Sept. 4.
“We have made sure that we have things arranged for Sept. 8,” said Emergency Management Organization information officer Jay Boast. “We will know in the coming days what to expect what will happen with that. “
Boast said that anyone planning to fly back should pre-register for a flight at the soonest opportunity. Over 2,000 people have registered for a flight back. There is only one re-entry flight being planned for Whitehorse and Winnipeg. He said the numbers of people registered will help the territory determine how many resources are needed for people who remain in evacuation.
“If you are an evacuee in one of these locations and have not pre-registered, please do so as soon as possible,” said Boast.
A number of evacuees in Calgary have been required to re-locate from their lodgings, according to a Sept. 4 update on the GNWT’s webpage. It says officials with the City of Calgary are doing their best to accommodate people put out of hotel rooms, but when individual lodgings are not available evacuees are being placed in group homes.
Transportation to the new lodgings is being covered by the city and teams were at the affected hotels from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. today to inform guests they were being moved.
“Evacuees that have additional needs will be prioritized for hotel assignment,” said Boast. “What we have to appreciate is as guests here in Alberta, the hotels people are staying in are private businesses that have their own needs and commitments. As soon as the situation became apparent we moved very quickly to have staff present.”
Boast said that seven hotels were in scheduling conflict. He said the GNWT did not have a head count of how many people were affected.
Robert Tordiff, Assistant Deputy Minister, Executive and Indigenous Affairs said the territory had mechanisms in place to track unhoused people who had been evacuated to Calgary.
“Calgary Emergency management agency works closely with shelter providers,” he said. “They have been tracking interaction with folks who are new to their services or the Northwest Territories. Through those processes, they are able to connect them to us.
“It should also be noted that not everyone who is part of the population from the NWT is mixing in with the homeless population in Calgary,” he said. “Many are still in their hotel rooms and lodgings.
“It’s a complex system of various organizations that have to work together in order that the situation awareness is available to all members.”
He added that people who don’t want to return to Yellowknife have the right to do so if they choose.
Essential workers returning home between Sept. 4 and 5 are allowed to bring their families back with them. Regular citizens are asked not to begin heading back to Yellowknife until 12 p.m. Sept. 6 — no supports will be provided for people who choose to drive to Northern Alberta and wait there. Anyone who stays at a hotel overnight will be on the hook for their own lodgings.
Essential Workers who have returned home are advised that curbside garbage pick up is currently not available and are asked to take their garbage to either the Recycling depot at the corner of School Draw and Franklin Ave, In front of City Hall or the Multiplex Parking Lot.
Boast said security has been established for the entrance to Enterprise to keep people returning home out of the community.
Terence Courtoreille, Deputy Secretary, Financial Management Board said 5,600 people have applied to the Evacuation Travel Subsidy Program.
“Our team here in finance are working hard to get that money out as soon as possible,” he said.
Tordiff said the GNWT was working with provinces hosting evacuees to make mental health services accessible to people still out of the territory.
Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority CEO Kimberly Riles said mental health services for people returning to Yellowknife were going to be rolled out on the GNWT’s website in the next day.
“This has been a very trying and stressful event and the mental health supports are going to be critical for folks as they return, during a press conference Sept. 4,” she said. “Tomorrow actually we’re going to be starting with some limited, walk in appointments available. We’re going to be having that daily.”