NWT wildfires: Feds discuss bringing evacuees back, committed to covering evacuation costs

Uh what I can say is that we are reaching a point now where we are in discussions with the territories with the provinces on how we’re going to uh bring the uh evacuees back certainly to the Northwest Territories there’s a lot of issues to be to be discussed a lot of

Issues to make decisions on those conversations are actively ongoing and we are there uh every day as a whole of government to make sure that we suppress the fires first of all we need mother nature to help rain would be great and it started but we need more it’s still a dangerous situation

But we’re looking at bringing people back and there’s a multitude of departments involved in that and that’s hopefully the next step yes we have committed to cover all eligible evacuation costs and Recovery costs which you know is still are undetermined because of course the fires are still

Burning I have spoken with a number of chiefs have reassured them that we’ll be there with cash flow problems some communities have more ability to manage than others and I would speak directly to First Nations leaders that are affected that if you haven’t spoken to either me or or the department that

Reach out to our teams and we will be there if you need support this is really a very difficult situation to manage for Chiefs and councils often communities are very small and have limited capacity and so the department has stepped up both in Practical supports to help coordinate some of those evacuations to

Provide health support and then to provide the financial supports that are necessary in these extraordinary times working with First Nations and evacuees what we hear about is the massive disruption in people’s lives and so anything that supports evacuees with lost income with lost documentation with disruptions to sort of benefits that

They might be receiving you can well imagine people’s address addresses have changed there’s all sorts of disruption and so I think the whole of government response is trying to with each of our Ministries ensure that we’re proactive and that we’re working with families with communities in terms of First

Nations over 85 million dollars has already been distributed to First Nations that need that money for all kinds of different uh disaster responses including support for evacuations and evacuees securing accommodations so it really isn’t all hands on deck it’s really I think a good sign that we have

Service Canada reaching out and making sure that people are not seeing disruption their benefits because you can well imagine when you’re evacuated and then on top of that you’re worrying about whether or not you’re you’re going to have enough money to make it through just your day-to-day expenses that’s a very stressful situation

The federal government is in talks with the Northwest Territories, and with provinces that have taken in evacuees, about how to bring residents back following the devastating wildfires in the region.

Minister of Northern Affairs Dan Vandal said Tuesday it remains a “dangerous situation” in the Northwest Territories, but added that a multitude of departments will be involved in the effort to bring evacuees back when the time comes.

Meanwhile, Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu said the federal government is “committed” to covering all eligible costs related to evacuation and recovery.

“This is really a very difficult situation to manage for chiefs and councils, often communities are very small and have limited capacity, and so the department has stepped up both in practical supports to help coordinate some of those evacuations, to provide health supports and then to provide the financial supports that are necessary in these extraordinary times,” Hajdu said.

Hajdu said that more than $85 million has already been distributed to First Nations for disaster response, including support for evacuees.

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