Smoke has forced Yellowknife to cancel a celebration marking the return of residents to the city after a wildfires-prompted evacuation that lasted for weeks.
The Northwest Territories capital had planned a “Welcome Home” gathering on Saturday at Somba K’e Civic Plaza, featuring live music, bouncy castles and a shop-local contest.
But the city posted a notice on its website that due to poor air quality, the celebration has been cancelled due to safety concerns, although the shop-local promotion was still on.
Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a special air-quality statement on Saturday for Yellowknife, saying “smoke is causing or expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility.”
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Everyone in the city of approximately 20,000 was ordered to leave in mid-August due to a nearby wildfire, and they were only allowed to return on Sept. 6 when the evacuation order was downgraded to an alert.
Yellowknife says on its website there is free access to its fieldhouse track and indoor playground until air quality improves.
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