As NWT evacuees drove south with Alberta destinations in mind last week, one of the questions running through many minds was whether there would be enough gasoline to get them there.
There was lots of time to think about it because the lineup to pull into the Big River Service Centre near Fort Providence last Wednesday and Thursday stretched for kilometres.
Linda Croft, general manager of the business who has been working there since 2014, said she’s never seen a crisis of this magnitude before.
“Like most of the people down here, not to this extent,” she said, recalling the fires of 2014 that caused significant traffic but nothing compared to the current situation.
The service centre has been inundated with a constant flow of traffic.
“Our pumps just didn’t stop and by 2 p.m. (Aug. 16) they were lined up out the highway and it’s been like that straight,” Croft described.
The lines of vehicles were backed up to Blue Fish Creek.
Despite the high demand, Croft assured that there was no shortage of gas. The service centre had received a fuel delivery on Aug. 20 before the evacuation started and essentially had full tanks when the road closures began due to minimal traffic. To ensure they remained well-stocked, they accepted an additional delivery from Fort Simpson last Thursday expected another on Friday.
“There’s not a chance that we’re going to run out of fuel. Everybody that wants to get out of Yellowknife is gonna get out,” Croft emphasized at the time.
However, there were concerns about running out of food staples. With shipping companies hesitant to come north due to the limited demand in Fort Providence, Croft was working with the GNWT and suppliers in the south to arrange for shipments of groceries.
“Right now I’m working with the territorial government and my suppliers down south to see how we can get some groceries and things to come in,” she said last week. “One way or the other, we’ll have some things even if I have to drive south to get it myself.”
Edna Dow, a resident of Hay River who was in Yellowknife during the evacuation, has been preparing for the worst since 1963.
She and her family had stocked up on gas and supplies in anticipation of the floods that have ravaged their community. Despite the long lines and wait times to sign up for flights last week0, Dow and her family managed to evacuate to Alberta, where they will meet up with other family members who have already fled the area.
Dow, who travels between Hay River and Alberta for eye appointments, is grateful for the preparations she made in advance of this latest disaster.
“It’s just a matter of being prepared,” she says. “We were prepared the day before (the stores closed).”