While many people are looking forward to getting outside over the long weekend, some just want to get home as forest fires in northern Saskatchewan continue to roar.
Financial support is coming for residents who have been impacted by power outages caused by wildfires, especially the outage from May 14-17.
“We recognize the impact that recent power outages have had on communities already facing hardships due to wildfires and extreme weather,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell said.
“The lengthy interruption in power caused a lot of food to spoil. These funds will provide relief to residents and communities who do not originally qualify for support through the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program.”
The funds will be issued directly to communities as a grant from the SPSA and disbursed to residents by community leadership. Residents are eligible for up to $100 to cover the costs associated with food spoilage.
The eligible communities are Buffalo Narrows, Garson Lake, Dillon (Buffalo River Dene Nation), Turnor Lake, Birch Narrows First Nation, La Loche, Clearwater River Dene Nation, Descharme Lake, St. George’s Hill, Michel Village, Bear Creek and Black Point.
People who own a cabin or secondary property affected by the outages, but do not reside in an eligible community, are asked to call PDAP at 1-866-632-4033 for instructions.
As of Friday morning, there were 29 active wildfires in Saskatchewan, including 12 that were being assessed, 10 classified as contained, and one that had crews protecting homes.
The Quebec government is also sending support to Saskatchewan to help the province tackle the wildfires.
Saskatchewan expects to receive two amphibious tankers this weekend that will join their aerial tankers.
With people out camping this weekend, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) is urging everyone to be careful with anything that could cause a spark as conditions are extremely dry.
They also urge people to check highway closures on the Highway Hotline as some may be closed due to the fire response. The province said most highways have been reopened but could quickly change.
There have already been 174 wildfires in the province in 2023, nearly double the five-year average.