Province's delays in response to wildfire evacuees have 'fuelled distrust': Sask. ombudsman
La Ronge residents to be allowed home Thursday
Saskatchewan ombudsman Sharon Pratchler says the provincial government's response to wildfire evacuations needs to improve.
Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Pratchler said she has been hearing calls from evacuees living in cars, tents and parking lots without access to basic needs like food or shelter, or clear information about where they should go and who is supposed to support them.
"Your process to provide services to those people who have been displaced from the homes in northern Saskatchewan are not working for many of them," Pratchler said.
Pratchler said her office has received numerous calls from people confused about where to go due to a lack of organization.
"We believe that people would be better able to manage the situation when they understand that there is a plan in place, and what that plan is and how it affects them," she said.
Pratchler issued 14 immediate calls to action to improve supports for evacuees. They include ensuring the 24/7 help hotline is properly staffed, creating one list of all evacuation sites, ensuring that there is a space for doctors who have been evacuated from La Ronge to see their patients, and providing information on a long-term plan for rehousing those who have lost their homes.
She said these calls to action are urgent.
"The delays in response and accesses to services to meet basic needs, a safe place to sleep and food has fuelled distrust," Pratchler said.
Pratchler promised a formal investigation into the government's handling of the crisis.
"There will be a review by my office later on, but the focus right now is on immediate needs," she said.
As of noon CST Tuesday, there were 23 active wildfires in the province, with five considered contained, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.
'Pure chaos and callous failure': NDP
Jordan McPhail, the Saskatchewan NDP's MLA for Cumberland — which includes the northeastern region, where many fires are burning — says he has heard the same concerns the ombudsman expressed.
"What Pratchler has revealed this morning reinforces so much of what I've been hearing since the wildfire crisis began nearly two weeks ago," the Opposition MLA said at a Tuesday news conference.
McPhail said he's been told some evacuees are going thousands of dollars into debt trying to manage the crisis, and some are driving long distances to use grocery store vouchers provided to evacuees by the province.
"Pure chaos and callous failure, and the Sask. Party government doesn't seem to care," McPhail said.
Opposition House leader Nicole Sarauer is calling on the Saskatchewan Party government to take immediate action on help that includes providing proper long-term shelter, financial aid and a list of all available supports of all evacuation centres, along with better communication overall.
"I can't even imagine why that doesn't already exist," Sarauer said.
Denare Beach resident left without a home
Chantelle Morin has been living in a camper trailer in Prince Albert with her family since fleeing Denare Beach, in northeastern Saskatchewan, last month.
The wildfire that tore through the village and the nearby Denare Beach reserve left widespread destruction.
"To lose three-quarters of your community and for everybody to be displaced, we have no homes to go to when we are able to go home," Morin said. "There's lots of us that have no homes to go to."
WATCH | Denare Beach evacuee living in camper, uncertain about future or support:
Morin says getting help as an evacuee has been challenging, with multiple agencies offering assistance, which makes it unclear where to go for help.
Morin is a member of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, which includes eight communities. Denare Beach is among those.
She said the Red Cross is responsible for providing evacuation support, but hasn't been helpful to her so far.
"We haven't got any assistance from them, like any laundry slips or things that help us get by the day."
The province also offers daily financial support through the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency — $40 for the head of household and $20 for each additional family member, up to $200 per day, which she isn't eligible for.
The SPSA cannot provide an evacuee with support if they are already receiving support from another organization.
But Morin says that isn't enough for evacuees like her. She says she has received some help from her band, but her family is being forced to cover too much on their own.
"Right now, we're using our savings to get the things that aren't being donated to the evacuation centre," she said. "Those other necessities we're spending out of pocket."
Though some evacuees from Pelican Narrows — about 80 kilometres northwest of Denare Beach — are now allowed to return home, that's not the case for Morin's family. There's been no clear timeline on when that will happen.
"We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow," she said. "We're just going day by day since last Saturday. We don't know when we can go home. We don't know when we can go through anything that's left."
Province addresses criticism
The Government of Saskatchewan responded to the ombudsman's concerns on Tuesday afternoon.
In a statement, the province said it has heard from evacuees about a lack of clear communication and difficulties accessing support, and recognizes the challenging situation, especially for those who have lost their homes.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) also spoke to the concerns at Tuesday's daily wildfire update.
"We have many across the province that are being supported in other hotels with their food, shelter, activities," said Marlo Pritchard, the agency's president and fire commissioner. "But absolutely, we acknowledge that there is a backlog in some of those evacuation supports."
He said SPSA has hired 14 additional staff to help work through the backlog and get resources out "as quickly and effectively as possible."
Pritchard said SPSA is looking at the most urgent cases. He pointed to people who have self-evacuated are staying with friends and family. Pritchard said while they may need support, they are not in a "critical position," while others may be.
"We're dealing with those ones that are in immediate need, to be their support with food vouchers, some financial support, or a hotel," he said.
The Red Cross is currently supporting 9,160 people and SPSA is supporting 850, as 23 wildfires continue to burn in northern Saskatchewan.
La Ronge residents to be allowed home Thursday
"Weather has been co-operating with us," said Steve Roberts, vice president of the SPSA.
He said cooler temperatures and lower winds are allowing crews to get more of a handle on some areas that were too dangerous or "high risk" before.
He also noted that a large area near Churchill River received significant amounts of rain over the last few days and will no longer be under a fire ban.
With the improved weather conditions, more residents are expected to be able to return to their communities in the coming days.
So far, evacuation orders have been lifted for Weyakwin and Pelican Narrows.
La Ronge is also preparing to welcome residents back.
Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson posted on Tuesday afternoon that residents of Hall Lake, Sucker River, La Ronge and Stanley Mission can begin making their way home later this week.
Healthy people with their own vehicles can return Thursday, with the rest of the community slated to return over the weekend, Cook-Searson said.
She said scheduled power outages will take place in certain communities as residents return, including Stanley Mission, Grandmother's Bay and Missinipe. The outages will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST until Saturday due to damaged infrastructure.
"SaskPower crews are working from south to north, sectionalizing lines and aiming to restore full power by Thursday, pending safety conditions," Cook-Searson said.
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