Yellowknife residents won’t have to wait much longer to re-enter the territorial capital that was evacuated more than two weeks ago due to wildfires threatening the city.
On Friday, the City of Yellowknife and Yellowknives Dene First Nation announced dates for re-entry have been plotted out.
Personnel essential for critical services like health care, utilities, transportation and grocers were contacted on Tuesday about a return to re-open those services.
That work was paused on Wednesday, due to accelerating fires along Highway 1. Essential health-care staff was being airlifted into the city.
Most essential workers will return on Sept. 4 and 5, due to the highway’s status.
The general public, meanwhile, will be able to return home at noon on Sept. 6.
The N.W.T. capital noted those dates are subject to change as conditions change.
More than 20,000 Yellowknife residents had hours to flee the city in mid-August, heading to other Canadian cities and towns.
Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty and Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek issued a joint statement asking for support from provincial and federal governments in the re-entry.
“For Yellowknife residents in Calgary now, we are appealing to the Government of the Northwest Territories to supply the social workers and supports that will facilitate a better transition at this critical time,” the statement reads. “For evacuees in Calgary, seeing a familiar supportive face will make a world of difference.”
To date, more than 3,600 evacuees registered with Calgary authorities, including at least 363 seniors or elders and 776 children.
Since Aug. 18, nearly 7,300 evacuees registered at the Edmonton Emergency Reception Centre and more than 4,300 people have been placed in Edmonton hotels. That’s more than double the number than what was originally expected.
Around 3,000 evacuees were expected in the Manitoba cities of Portage la Prairie, Brandon and Winnipeg.
“At the same time, we are appealing to both the Alberta and Northwest Territories governments to call for additional resources to support trauma and crisis management efforts that municipalities cannot deliver on their own,” the mayors said.
“By asking the federal government to coordinate resource provision through other provinces and agencies, we can immediately build a stronger support network in our cities.
“In serious situations like this one, it is our sincere hope that all orders of government and service organizations can align to meet the needs of people who are surviving a crisis.”
A state of emergency in the Northwest Territories has been extended until Sept. 11.
— with files from Nicole Buffie, Global News, and The Canadian Press