After being evacuated for more than a week due to wildfires, residents of Yellowknife, Dettah and N’Dilo can return home on Wednesday, as the Evacuation Order has been downgraded to an Evacuation Alert.
The Evacuation Order was lifted at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, by Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA), following the recommendation of the city of Yellowknife and the Territorial government.
The city has compiled a number of question and answers for residents on its website - Welcome Home web-page, which provides information on various services and facilities that are resuming operations.
Some of the main questions and answers are:
Waste Disposal: Garbage pick-up will continue from September 7 to September 29, but there will be no organics pick-up during this time. Compost and organics pick-up will begin the week of October 2. After this, the regular bi-weekly rotating schedule will resume.
Water Services: For those on trucked water, full service delivery is expected as of September 7, 2023. Residents are advised to only use the water in their tank for cooking or bathing purposes, as it may have been stagnant for a long time. Residents should wait for a refill for drinking purposes.
Solid Waste Facility: The Solid Waste Facility will be open from September 7 to September 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with no tipping fee for residential waste caused by the evacuation and food spoilage. The facility will be closed on September 11, and will reopen on September 12 with regular hours and fees.
Fire Ban: A Fire Ban will remain in effect for Yellowknife until further notice.
The City encourages residents to visit its website for the most up to date information on the reopening of facilities, programs and services. More information will be released in the coming days.
The City also thanked the residents for their patience and cooperation during the evacuation, and urged them to take care of themselves and their families as they return to their homes.