Canada ‘prepared to initiate’ air evacuations for Yellowknife residents: defence minister

124 Canadian Armed Forces members we know are helping navigate this emergency they were deployed earlier this week we’re going to bring you the latest on the federal response the minister of National Defense Bill Blair is going to be joining me in just moments but let’s show you the scene we have

Just in from Edmonton we know this massive evacuation from Yellowknife into Alberta notably and we’re going to bring you live reporting from the community of Leduc later on in this hour but the flights the very first flight from Yellowknife out took off earlier this afternoon and some of those people are

Now beginning to arrive in Edmonton let’s listen to some of their comments as they arrived to safety earlier today it was really smoky it’s getting slightly better I think it was raining right was we were leaving and it rained overnight so I I think maybe the conditions are better than they were

Yesterday but I’m not really sure definitely really worried but relieved that I’m out now and I’m safe so yeah just uh looking forward to when we can get back we go to the hotel here and we’re going to be here for five days and hopefully we can go home

It’s been hectic it’s really crazy and I guess there’s nothing open in town too my dad phone this morning and said there’s no food stores nothing open so he’s kind of they’re on their own whoever stayed behind is on their own so there is some commentary from people

Who are now in safety but it was quite a scene outside so John Franklin High the evacuation order in Yellowknife went out late last night and it urged people to leave by car by vehicle if that was at all possible those who were unable to do

So they were to take flights and there are a number of flights leaving from Yellowknife today we’ll talk about that in a moment but the lineup immediately hundreds all through the early part of today as I say outsides are John Franklin High School some of the

Comments to us from people in that line let’s listen to those people now there is there is five of us so we took three vehicles like it was like pretty Smoky we had probably an hour of daylight when we were driving through betchko which it wasn’t too bad

But that’s definitely changed like as everyone’s driving out right now um we stopped in Fort Providence like the gas station was closed unfortunately um because we drove in the dark we also almost hit a bison and pretty much like I said once we hit kakiza and like between kakiza and Alexander Falls it

Just like was so Smoky it changed like drastically and um we brought n95 so we had our n95 on and we were like crawling at like 30 kilometers an hour all right my apologies obviously not people waiting to get on a plane people who experience that really terrifying

Drive outside of Yellowknife to safety as I mentioned the Canadian Armed Forces already on the ground helping with the evacuation helping with the firefight 124 Canadian Armed Forces members deployed earlier this week what lies ahead let us bring in the minister of National Defense Bill Blair is with me

Now Minister Blair good to see you and welcome back to Power and politics sir thank you very much Heather and thank you for having me on today I know you’ve you may have left the meeting or else it’s just wrapped up but the Prime Minister convened the incident response

Group meeting this afternoon you were part of that Roundtable convened this afternoon what can you announce coming out of that just moments ago well I can tell you the Prime Minister made it very clear to all of his ministers that that all of us have to lean in and do everything that is

Necessary to support uh the people of yellow Knights the people the Northwest Territories all of the impacted communities and do everything possible uh working with the territorial government but also with some of our provincial Partners to do what is necessary to keep keep people safe to

Get them to safety um as we heard in your earlier reporting it’s a very traumatic thing to have for people to have to be evacuated from their communities and we’re doing everything that we can in order to support them and to keep them safe the Canadian Armed

Forces as you’ve said have been now been deployed into the territories um since since Saturday and for the last five days have been working very closely with local authorities on planning the logistics of the evacuation part of that is is logistics around an airlift which which if it becomes necessary we want to

Make sure that we have everything in place in all of the aircraft we’re very working very closely through the minister of Transport with uh with with commercial airlines as well the Canadian Armed Forces have staged a number of their aircrafts that will be necessary if to tell people out and and also

Supporting the the evacuation by Highway and knowing how challenging that that could be of the the uh first range of Patrol group of about 30 of our our Rangers who were part of the Canadian an important part of the Canadian military who are from the community or have been

Out helping people through that the road evacuation and as well we’re working really closely in planning and Logistics and it’s one of the things the Canadian Armed Forces um thankfully has a great deal of experience in is very good at it they’re they’re working with local officials so

Thank you I wanted to get the overarching statement and and I can appreciate do whatever is possible to help with this crisis situation but let’s look specifically at one of the things you mentioned airlift we know uh you have I believe four aircraft that could help with evacuations right now in

Yellowknife a herc a twin otter and two Griffin helicopters One on standby another Griffin helicopter in Edmonton how close are you to ordering an airlift Minister Blair well again we’re working really closely with the the airport with commercial airlines and with the territorial government but in addition to the the

Aircraft that we have actually on site you know we don’t want to Stage those aircraft in the and and and tax The Limited uh facilities of of that airport so we’ve got uh 2c-130 uh Hercules uh aircraft and staging in Edmonton we have also got other aircraft in In Cold Lake

And in Trenton um in in Winnipeg and in other places and we’re quite prepared within a very very short period of time and I’m I’m talking only two hours to start moving uh large aircraft through there to assist with the evacuation and and also working with commercial airlines to ensure that we coordinate

And make maximum use of those airfields and and and and we we can get people to safety I’m very confident can I just be clear just to make sure I understood you clearly you are in a position if you give the order within two hours you could get this operational are you

Ordering that now and if not how close are you to ordering that are are the Canadian Armed Forces their personnel are are embedded within the Emergency Operations Center in Yellowknife they’re they’re working and doing the planning and Logistics around this um we are I am quite prepared it’s the

Moment they they believe it is necessary to begin that air evacuation right now the highways are open and right now the land roots of egress from the community and to safety are are are are are still functional and still available and that’s the best and safest way to get

People out but we’re we’re this has been a staged evacuation and we’re looking make to make sure that people who are vulnerable people um in in long-term care facility or or the elderly or or the infirm are are make sure that we are able to take care

Of them um we are prepared to to initiate the the air evacuation um a number of people have already been been leaving on commercial flights and and when it is appropriate we have all of the air caps staged into the region and and we can start moving them in and then

All right you’re quite right much of the focus today has been on commercial flights how many are available the price of those tickets Etc but I just want again to be clear uh should we anticipate at some point there will be a military component that there will be

People boarding military aircraft to get to safety should we anticipate that well I think you should anticipate it and and quite frankly the situation we’re monitoring very carefully the movement of the fire and and and the way in which it may threaten uh populated areas in in Yellowknife but also in Hay

River and Fort Smith and other places uh the military have already evacuated people by airlift out of Hay River and Fort Smith for example um earlier this week and and we are quite prepared um when it becomes necessary and and we believe the situation certainly the the Northwest Territories government the the

Authorities in Yellowknife have made it very clear that they’ve ordered an evacuation and and that they they are encouraging people to take the appropriate steps to to move to safety as quickly and as as possible and we’ll be there to support them however it is necessary to move them and should it be

Necessary to to move uh them on Canadian military aircraft we’ve staged the aircraft in in the region we’re quite prepared to to initiate that uh when it’s required we’ll we’ll be there for people as they need us and and we’ll make sure that this is done safely and

Efficiently and frankly it’s not just getting people out of the community together there’s there’s important work going on to make sure that when we get them to safety that there are reception centers and accommodations and and supports that will be available to them in communities very closely uh with with

Our counterparts in in Alberta and in British Columbia um and and you know working with with some humanitarian organizations like Canadian Red Cross to make sure that those supports are there because we know that this can be very traumatic and it even something as simple one of the

Things that we’ve always found people are very reluctant to leave their pets behind and so work has already begun working with the commercial airlines Transportation Canada has issued exemptions so that people can board their flights with with those animals because we want to remove any impediment or discouragement from people

Um from following the evacuation order and getting to safety and we want to assure them that we’ll be there to help get them to safety but also to help support them uh when when they are in in an evacuated situation and a number of organizations indicating they are

Working very actively on that and as well can I ask you as I mentioned earlier the Prime Minister convening this incident Response Group the highest level of response to a crisis of this nature and we understand that he has been being briefed regularly on this he is on vacation in British Columbia right

Now is there any indication that he’ll be returning from vacation early to deal with this Minister Blair well I could I can assure you the prime minister is fully engaged on this and quite frankly in an emergency situation like that everybody puts their vacation plans just simply on hold and we’re

There for people and I know the Prime Minister has been in contact with Premier Cochrane I’m a no Master’s agent and I have both been in contact with Minister Thompson and with our provincial counterparts as well and of course the Canadian Armed Forces have been there I also want to want to

Mention the important work of the RCMP they have an important Detachment of over 100 Personnel deployed into into governments now they’re working in those communities they know those communities and the people there and and you know they’re making sure that people are safe and that the evacuation can be done in

An orderly way but but for our government Heather it’s all hands on deck and as as I said for First Nations Community Mr haidu and Minister and then sangri were on that call and they’ve reached out to their counterparts and make sure that people know the supports

Are there for them and that that will be there to assist them as well the minister of Transportation administer of health and minister of procurement um certainly Public Safety all of us have have been fully engaged based on this file and will continue to be because this is

Um you know a word we far too often use but in these circumstances it’s quite appropriate okay this is an unprecedented situation and it’s absolutely necessary we do everything to assist and support the people of the Northwest Territories and those communities impacted by these fires just to be clear had the meeting concluded

Minister Blair are you going back into the meeting to will there be further news to announce or or shall we leave it at this for now and await further word from uh from your ministry other Ministries involved in this I’m sure that the the meeting has concluded there’ll be a readout from

That meeting in each of the implicated Ministries I will be speaking about the the number of initiatives that that they are taking to support uh there’s an important work I know going on in public safety we are talking to the community and to our humanitarian organization Partners about about financial supports

About the supports that we need to make sure that we provide to people who’ve been evacuated but our first priority right now is getting people to safety protecting their homes protecting their communities protecting critical infrastructure but most importantly protecting Canadians lives which we’re going to talk about in a moment with the

Mayor but again just to be clear Before I Let You Go and I appreciate the time nothing more to announce from defense as far as additional supports immediately I mean obviously much on standby but no announcements to be made at this moment as far as additions we’ll certainly

We’ll certainly keep you apprised when when and if and when those those aircraft uh begin to take people and but I also want to assure you uh We’ve we’ve staged quite a number of aircraft and people and resources in order to provide assist assistance and support to this

Evacuation and we are quite prepared to bring whatever resources are required to make sure that we get people to safety okay we’ll definitely be in touch further thank you so much the minister of National Defense Bill Blair

‘When it is appropriate, we have all of the aircraft staged into the region and we can start moving them in and then get people out as necessary,’ Minister of National Defence Bill Blair said. Nearly 22,000 Yellowknife residents have been ordered evacuate the city by noon Friday due to approaching wildfires.

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