La Loche, Clearwater River Dene Nation evacuees return home
Both Sask. communities issued mandatory evacuation orders due to smoke last weekend
Residents from the Northern Village of La Loche, Sask., are packing up and heading home after the community removed its mandatory evacuation order.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) said the community also called off its declaration of local emergency as of 9 a.m. CST Friday.
"Buses are scheduled to transport evacuees back to La Loche on Friday evening," the SPSA said in its Friday wildfire update.
Last weekend, residents took buses to Regina after community leaders issued a mandatory evacuation order due to smoke from the nearby Park Fire.
Nearby, Clearwater River Dene Nation (CRDN) has also opened back up to residents. The community also evacuated last weekend due to smoky conditions.
"The mandatory evacuation order for our community has officially been lifted," the CRDN emergency response team said in a Facebook post Friday.
Evacuee buses started to depart from Saskatoon and Bonnyville around 1:30 p.m. CST.
Meanwhile, the SPSA said 12 other communities remain under evacuation orders.
Further west, Prince Albert National Park is still experiencing closures and a fire ban.
"A small amount of rain fell across the Buhl fire yesterday, helping keep fire behaviour low," Parks Canada said in an update Friday.
The Buhl Fire currently sits at 95,666 hectares, with just over 12,700 hectares within the park.
Parks Canada said crews made good progress Thursday on priority areas in the south and southeast side of the fire.
There are currently 86 active wildfires burning across the province, with only six considered contained.
NDP calls on government to cut PST on construction labour
As more communities return home, the province's Official Opposition is calling on the Saskatchewan government to cut the PST on construction labour to help residents rebuild homes, cabins and commercial buildings destroyed in the province's north.
The NDP said hundreds of residential and commercial structures will need to be rebuilt in communities like East Trout Lake, Denare Beach and Sucker River.
The Opposition said construction labour typically accounts for 30 to 50 per cent of total building costs.
"We continue to see failure after failure of the Sask Party government to meet the moment to take the necessary steps to protect communities, to support those thousands of evacuees, people who have had the worst summer of their lives," NDP Leader Carla Beck said at a news conference Friday morning.
She said thousands of people across the province remain away from their homes — staying as far away as Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.
Beck said residents have been constantly working to come up with solutions of how to rebuild their communities and the government is often slow to respond.
"These are solutions that the Sask Party government should move on," Beck said, adding that the idea to cut PST was made by Nathan Pitka, a resident from East Trout Lake.
Asked about the PST proposal, the Saskatchewan government provided a statement.
"PST revenues help fund services in health care, education and social services, as well as programs such as municipal revenue sharing and infrastructure investments that communities rely on," the statement said.
"Our government is always looking for ways to ways to stimulate the economy and encourage growth, another critical component in providing these important services and supporting Saskatchewan residents in need."
The NDP said it's also continuing to push the government for "immediate, direct financial aid" for businesses in northern communities to help them recover from the wildfires including:
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Grants for seasonal businesses to help them during wildfire season.
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Deferrals on taxes and fees owed to the government for businesses impacted by wildfires.
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Fast-tracked SGI coverage and claims for small businesses and tourism vendors.
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A zero-interest commitment on government tax arrears for impacted businesses.
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