Local army reservists get ready to take on northern fires

For Ahenakew, he said the issue really hits close to home.

“The entire province and surrounding provinces have gathered together and are starting to kind of help us out,” said Ahenakew. “We’ve got choppers coming in from Montana, crews coming in from different nations.”

“Even on a smaller scale level intercommunities, like different reservations, [are] helping other reserves.”

He said firefighting is just one of the ways people have stepped up to help.

“My own home reserve has opened up its doors, its gyms, its halls and classrooms to any kind of evacuees we’re getting, and so have surrounding communities,” said Ahenakew.

Before beginning training, he was helping out in other ways.

“Just last night I volunteered myself and my time in my own community,” Ahenakew explained. “Here I am today ready to kick some butt,” he continued, referring to the over 100 fires currently burning in the province.

Ahenakew said it means a lot that he gets the opportunity to help out.

“The reason I put this uniform on is just to make sure that I go out there and do my best in the better interests of the country, its people, and lastly my own community and myself,” Ahenakew said.

He said thinking of the thousands of evacuees going through a difficult time keeps him highly motivated. Interacting with them, he got a sense of how they are dealing with the situation.

“They feel displaced,” Ahenakew said. “Them themselves, their morale is not as high because they haven’t been home in such a long time.”

“Just imagine, going out on a trip and you not being able to come back to your home, you don’t even know if your home is still there.”

Still, he said the situation has been improved with the help of many people.

“There are great people from are community that are creating events for them, creating functions…aligning stuff up so that they’re not entirely down in the slumps.”

The training that the group is going through has been condensed and they are hoping to send out the newly trained group as early as Sunday to relieve others who have been working nearly around the clock.

So far, Ahenakew said the training has been good and he knows the professionals teaching the course from previous experiences.

“They’re the best,” Ahenakew said.

Capt. Mitch Marcier, a police officer in Regina, took time off work to take the training and head up north.

With Regina hosting a large number of evacuees, Marcier said he’s seen many displaced people. After seeing a father and son sitting in the parking lot of the Brandt Centre, where many evacuees have been housed, he was happy he decided to help get them home.

“Regina’s a great place, but it’s not a holiday for these guys,” Marcier said.

asoloducha@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alex_soloducha

by Alex Soloducha

Local army reservists get ready to take on northern fires

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