By Kellah Lavoie

Evacuees happy to be safe, worry about community

Jun 1, 2011 | 5:10 PM

Sophie Joseyounen sits outside SIAST with her two grandchildren and her 81-year-old mother.

She left Wollaston Lake at about 2 a.m. with the two children, her mother left even earlier due to the growing fire, it is now at nearly 500 hectares, or about five square kilometres.

“We had to wait in the airport for about three or four hours until they told us that the plane would come in. It came in around 2 and we got here around 3 a.m., about 3:30,” said Joseyounen. She was evacuated due to her health – she is a cancer survivor. Her granddaughter, a heart patient, and her grandson stuck close by her. The boy’s parents are still in Northern Saskatchewan.

“They told us that they are bringing the ones that are really emergency people.”

Some of the first to leave the community, like Joseyounen’s mother, didn’t even get the opportunity to grab clothes.

Raiders AGM

Raiders impact on Prince Albert local economy continues to go up: AGM report

6h ago

Court proceedings

'The impact of this trauma will echo for generations': court case surrounding La Ronge woman's death reaches conclusion

Dec 11, 2024

Going Global

P.A.'s Zablocki named to Team Canada for U18 Women's World Championships

Dec 11, 2024

“They go to a person’s house and said you have to go, so they just go,” she said.

Back home, people are congregated in the two schools. With the airport opening and closing all day due to smoke, concern is growing about the people who are left behind.

“I saw the fire when I left, I saw it and it is all red, the airstrip that’s where I seen it,” she said, explain how close it actually is. The province is saying it is only about one km from the community.

Her daughter is trying to leave by boat, even though there is still ice on the lake, Joseyounen said.

“The ice is still big, it’s just a few on the shore that is shallow.

“Wherever there is water they try and stay (near) the shores and where there is ice they have to carry the boat, walk on the ice with the boat to try and find water,” she said.

Angus Kkailther didn’t want to leave his home.

“It happened so fast… you didn’t have time to pack or lock the doors, you just left,” he said.

Kkailther is in Prince Albert with his 13-year-old son.

“Everybody can see the fire,” he said.

“I wish I was there, that’s my hometown. I don’t want it to burn,” he said, adding he is worried about the elders and everyone else who might still be there. He said he just wants to go home and the whole thing is scary.

Concern and anticipation are also coming from the Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation election.

Advanced polls were yesterday, but the election was supposed to take place Thursday.
Incumbent Chief Bartholomew Tsannie said he is not sure what the plan will be for the election, explaining it is up to the chief electoral.

“We didn’t expect this, an emergency can happen any time,” he said. “This is more important, the election is important too, but I think this is more important what is going on right here.”

Ministry of Environment is working to protect Wollaston Lake and the surrounding community. They installed sprinklers to protect values within the area and have been trying to stop the fire from growing towards the hamlet.

Duane McKay, provincial fire commissioner, said they are working with Alberta and Manitoba to try and get more people evacuated.

They are looking at options other than just airplanes to get the people to safety.

It seems for most people who have left, the focus is on their northern home.

“I just hope that my grandkids and everybody at home and everybody at Wollaston are fine. Stuff we can get again but human beings we can’t get again,” said Joseyounen.

For more: Fire shuts down northern airstrip

Fire threatens northern community

klavoie@panow.com