A lone repatriation flight has left Winnipeg carrying Yellowknife evacuees home, but the GNWT can’t say for certain how many residents were on it yet.
The flight was scheduled to leave 4 p.m. Aug. 8. Emergency Management Organization (EMO) information officer Jay Boast confirmed the flight had left.
“We can confirm that a repatriation flight did leave from Winnipeg this afternoon but we will not receive the confirmed final manifest for awhile so that is all we can confirm at this time,” he said. “We do know that some of those people have indicated to us they will not be flying back on our flights.”
Boast said the GNWT had flown 69 people to Winnipeg during the evacuation.
Following the 12 p.m. deadline to evacuate Yellowknife on Aug. 18, it was determined there were still people unable to leave the city. Flights were continued throughout the weekend, but with centres in Edmonton and Calgary already at capacity, those still in Yellowknife were sent to Winnipeg and held up at the Fairfield Inn and Suites. Evacuation flights continued until Aug. 20.
Because of the small number of evacuees in the city, it was determined only one flight was needed. The flight was initially scheduled for Sept. 7 but was delayed until today.