We heard on Monday, Aug. 28 that the fire near Yellowknife is no longer out of control and that we may be able to go home within a week.
Man, that was welcome news. Then the GNWT placed Yellowknife’s reopening on hold because of wildfire risk along the highways.
It’s now over two weeks since I evacuated by plane with my brother Ron. I had been staying at a hotel, which is a pretty good place to stay, with a Tim Hortons attached and the Kingsway Mall nearby.
From day one, Jean’s friends offered their home to my family members in Edmonton. Mahsi cho to James Makokis and his friend and sister Janice for your wonderful hospitality.
The day we learned about the evacuation order, my wife Jean booked a hotel, so I simply went there and checked in. The next day, I went to the evacuation centre, called the Expo Centre, but a guy said he had been in line for three hours and was still not at the front. I already had a room, so goodbye Expo Centre. Eschia!
The next day, I went bright and early to the Expo Centre with my brother-in-law and there was no lineup, so I quickly registered and got a wristband to show I was an evacuee.
The lineup to register with Red Cross for housing was quite long, so again I left. Eventually, Jean registered us with Red Cross and they took over our hotel registration, meaning our room goes under the Red Cross and they pay the bill. They told us we should go to the Expo Centre to eat every day. No problem; we had a car by then and our hotel is 10 minutes away.
But not everyone has the means to simply book a room and wait for Red Cross to take over paying the bill. For instance, someone we know was stressed to the max with no money, staying with friends and has no vehicle. Downer.
They wanted to go to the Expo Centre to register with the Red Cross for a room. But I realized that Red Cross had placed some people in Fort Saskatchewan and we didn’t want that to happen.
So, I made a reservation for them at a hotel where other Yellowknifers were staying. Then we took them to the Expo Centre and stayed until they registered with Red Cross, who took over their hotel registration and bill. Our friend had a room and we were able to control where they ended up, but they had it rough for a week before that.
It’s harder for some people
Like I said, some people have it easier than others, because they have money or at least credit cards. We were able to get hotel rooms and pay for meals with the hope of being reimbursed or having Red Cross take over the bill.
Others have little or no money or credit cards, which makes it so much harder; maybe they can’t get a hotel room on their own and maybe they have no relatives in the city, so they’re totally reliant on the system. It can be stressful and overwhelming to say the least.
We have to keep in mind that this is a unique situation that has never happened before. The GNWT had to send people south to many locations and many drove out on their own, ending up in various locations.
We’ve heard of people having a very hard time, but we have to remember too that territorial and Indigenous government staff were also displaced with families, pets and maybe older or sickly relatives to look after. It’s hard to work when you’re frazzled.
And we have to take responsibility for ourselves as well. We can’t just expect the territorial government or our First Nation to do everything for us.
No matter how we look at it, this is a traumatizing event. Some people had to drive through fire and smoke to evacuate; some had to wait in line for hours to get onto a plane only to end up in Calgary or Winnipeg, instead of Edmonton. Not cool.
Suddenly having to leave your home, familiar surroundings, and routine is bad enough, then add waiting in a hotel room until it’s safe to go home. It’s definitely not easy, not for anybody. This evacuation is affecting the mental health of many people.
Yet, I’ve been hearing gratitude for an outpouring of kindness and generosity from people to evacuees. Many community events have been organized for us and we’re thankful for everything being done.
And it is harder for some people. For instance, people with unresolved trauma issues can find it hard to function. The unknown or uncertainty of the fires can cause intense emotions and bring on high levels of anxiety and stress to individuals and families.
My heart goes out to those experiencing grief from losing their home and being displaced for an extended period. This is a real difficult time for the NWT.