N.W.T. gov't extends registration deadline for flights back to Fort Smith and Hay River
CBC
Residents planning to fly back to Hay River, Kátł'odeeche First Nation and Fort Smith in the N.W.T. once evacuation orders lift now have a bit more time to register for flights.
The registration deadline, originally 8 p.m. Thursday, has now been extended to 5 p.m. Friday. Phone lines will be open until 10 p.m. Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, with residents asked to call 1-888-383-6649 or email disasterassistance@gov.nt.ca.
The N.W.T. Department of Municipal and Community Affairs made that announcement late Thursday afternoon during a wildfire news conference. Our live updates from that news conference are below.
Hay River and Kátł'odeeche First Nation are still anticipating the return of residents as early as Sunday, while Fort Smith is looking at Monday. Essential workers have already begun to return to those communities.
Enterprise's eventual return date has not yet been set.
Meantime, firefighters continue to battle the nearby wildfires that are still out of control.
Fire information officer Mike Westwick said Thursday morning that there was no significant growth of the fire on Wednesday, as heavy smoke helped keep temperatures down and kept more moisture in the area.
He was anticipating warmer conditions on Thursday, with winds that could push the fire north a bit.
The CBC's April Hudson was liveblogging Thursday's news conference. Updates appear in descending order, from newest to oldest.
4:59 p.m.: The territorial government intends to continue these news conferences next week, with one scheduled for Monday and one for Thursday.
4:57 p.m.: In closing remarks, Premier Caroline Cochrane says there have been many calls for a review of the government's response to this wildfire season. "We absolutely intend to learn from this experience and ensure we're well prepared for these types of emergencies in the future," she says.
4:55 p.m.: Jay Boast with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs says 2,225 people have flown back to Yellowknife and 6,587 vehicles have been recorded crossing the Deh Cho Bridge. It's hard to know exactly how many people have returned to the Yellowknife area, but Boast says the numbers appear to line up with how many people left.
4:50 p.m.: If you've had trouble accessing the N.W.T. government's website, Finance Minister Wawzonek says there have been a number of sites across the country affected by this. The N.W.T.'s chief information officer is involved. It's one of the reasons why the government has extended the deadline to register for a flight back to South Slave communities. As of this time in the news conference, government employees reported being able to access the website again.
4:48 p.m.: Enterprise Mayor Michael St-Amour says his council is looking at "all options" for people who lost their homes in the wildfire. Right now, anything is possible, including interim housing and local hotels, he says.
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