'Do we have a house?' Caregivers working to make sure kids are occupied, calm during wildfire evacuations
Displaced by Sask. wildfires, families work to find activities, moments of joy
As wildfires continue to displace families from northern towns and First Nations communities, evacuees are finding temporary refuge and support in Saskatchewan cities — which includes activities to keep their kids occupied, and not worrying about the fires threatening their homes.
Sarah Swan, who evacuated from Pelican Narrows, about 500 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, is in a Saskatoon hotel with her husband and five kids.
"It is stressful because we're not used to being in one little room — like, they're used to being in a house, and you could just go outside the house and play, but here you can't go outside because there's streets and traffic," Swan said.
"I just tell them that it's only temporary, we'll go back home, because my daughter's like, 'Do we have a house?' — thinking there was fire in our community, and I said yes," Swan said.
She said her children prefer speaking Cree and don't feel that comfortable talking with strangers in a city.
Swan is the Saskatoon co-ordinator for evacuees from Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation. In addition to helping with the needs of families scattered around at different hotels, she oversees a team of support staff who are organizing transportation for families from hotels to activities, including bouncy castles, laser tag, movies, concerts and the Saskatchewan Roughriders home opener.
With no school and children's lives turned upside down, Swan said giving them something positive to focus on is important.
"Even just going for ice cream, like soft ice cream, because we don't have that back home. So they're always asking for ice cream," Swan said. "And just driving around. Even just looking at the city, because of how big it is. They're amazed."
Elizabeth Michel, who has worked at the school in Pelican Narrows for 31 years and is also a band councillor, is acting as a team leader at the Four Points by Sheraton, a hotel where many families are being housed. She's also caring for her seven-year-old granddaughter, Markaylee.
On Wednesday, she went out to get craft supplies for the children.
Her granddaughter is excited to get to do all of these activities, but "at night, she gets a little bit lonely," said Michel.
"They've had activities for them throughout the week," Michel said. "At least every other day they take them to the zoo, they take them to the movies, they take them swimming or to the bouncy castles."
There are also parks to go to, "just to keep them busy, just to keep them occupied so they're not lonely or bored," said Michel.
'Parents, take a break'
A Facebook page that's being used to invite families to activities includes information on free tickets to various events.
The Children's Festival of Saskatchewan, which is happening in Saskatoon this week, has donated 250 tickets to people who have had to leave their homes because of the wildfires.
On Thursday, one post said: "Parents, take a break. We've got you!" It invited people to drop their children off at a Saskatoon hotel conference room for play time.
"We'll keep them busy with crafts, fun and kindness while you take care of you," it promised.
Rosann Bear accepted an offer to take her children to a free concert at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm. She relocated her son with special needs and medically-fragile daughter from Pelican Narrows to Saskatoon more than a week ago because the smoke was dangerous for her six-year-old daughter, who has lung disease.
"This ain't our first rodeo," Bear said, noting they were evacuated due to wildfires last summer as well.
"It is hard not being in our own comfort zone, but we're getting through it with all the help," she said. "I'm a little stressed, but I'm doing OK. I got it. I got this. Moms do that."
Her son, Isaac Junior, popped his head up to the microphone to add: "I miss home."
Up-to-date info on active fires, smoke and related topics is available at these sources:
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