SASKATOON—Cumberland MLA Jordan McPhail could not help but be emotional when he gave an update on the ongoing wildfires in Northern Saskatchewan, including his home community in La Ronge, Air Ronge, and Lac La Ronge Indian Band.
McPhail was thankful that none of his constituents who were seriously hurt, and appreciated the efforts of all firefighters and frontline workers who tirelessly laboured around the clock to protect the people of his community.
“We left our community yesterday (Monday, June 2), which was a difficult thing to do. It was probably one of the scariest moments of my life so far. That can be said by a lot of the residents that I had to be in a convoy out of our home community in La Ronge,” said McPhail.
“I was in La Ronge when the evacuation order was issued. My mother is still in La Ronge today, working at the hospital as a healthcare worker alongside many amazing healthcare providers, and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency and frontline fire crews.”
The Shadow Minister for Northern Affairs and Forestry, who served as the board chair of their volunteer fire department, added that it was painful to see the beauty of their community slowly fade in the rearview mirror, as everyone had to leave for safety reasons.
“In that convoy line, I was one of the last people out yesterday. I did what I could to try and help the community where I could. Me and the nearly 7,000 people that I get to share the honour of living in La Ronge and the tri-community area made it out safely,” said McPhail.
“That's all credit to the hard-working frontline workers and staff of the SPSA, the fire teams, the air crews and everybody that did everything they could. They pulled no stops and made sure that people made it out as safely as possible.”
He recalled the terrifying experience of being one of the last ones who drove out of La Ronge to move to Saskatoon for safety reasons, where both sides of the highway were burning, something that he would forever remember.
Creighton, Pelican Narrows, Hall Lake, Hipperell Lake, La Ronge, East Trout Lake, Wayland Lake, White Swan, Sucker River, Braeband, Little Bear Lake, Lower Fishing Lake, Weyakwin, Flin Flon, Wadden Bay, English Bay, Potato Lake, Mapitak, Sikachew, Clam Lake, and Denaire Beach are the communities that are currently under evacuation order.
McPhail then appealed for additional assistance to help the people displaced by the wildfires, asking Premier Scott Moe to listen to the Northern Chiefs, mayors, council members, and Métis leaders, as resources are badly needed.
“Specifically, to the folks in Denare, Sucker River, Hall Lake, East Trout Lake, I know the damage is immense. The memories that you have in your four walls may be lost, but the beauty of the North will always be in the hearts of the people who call it home,” said McPhail, who tried to hold back his tears.
“I know that we will rebuild together. I know that we will do what we have to, pull together, and make sure we get through this. I know that our hearts are broken. I'll be there every step of the way with you as we navigate this crisis. And then I'll be there with you to rebuild your community as well. You have my word.”
Needing a helping hand
He said that those who evacuated from the affected communities are temporarily living in Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Regina, Yorkton, Weyburn, and other locations in Saskatchewan, with some choosing to go to Brandon and Winnipeg in Manitoba.
“Some folks have been displaced into other people's homes, and each need of those individuals is unique. It will be based on what each Red Cross sees as the core issue. For my team and me, we will be working closely with the Red Cross to be all hands on deck, helping evacuees wherever and whenever we can. The best thing to do is reach out to the local evacuees, go to those evacuation centres, see what the needs of those communities are at that time, and see what you can do to help contribute,” said McPhail.
The coming days will also be difficult for everyone, as the economic impact of the tragedy begins to unfold. At the same time, fires continue to spread in other communities due to the shifting winds, which are expected to push west and south.
“Again, think of the people in Denare Beach. The winds were not in their favour yesterday (Monday), and they lost a good chunk of their community. I thank the local volunteer firefighter team and local contractors, like Big Ice. They did everything they could to provide every resource to the community and the homes in the area. They left everything on the line. They put their lives in danger, and again, they made it out safely,” said McPhail.
“But, you know, the economic impact of what this will be highly dependent on how much damage is done at the end of this fire season. The primary concern we need to address now is how to best support the evacuees in ensuring their needs are met. And moving forward, obviously, they're going to have a lot of questions on how they're going to rebuild. Northern people are resilient. When we lose something, when we know that we have to fight for something, we will. And we will do everything that we can for one another to make sure that we get through the crisis together.”
