An evacuee from Yellowknife, N.W.T. who is currently in Winnipeg says she’s still waiting for financial assistance from the territorial government to help with costs associated to being away from home.
“It’s just difficult being so far and not having financial assistance,” Rose Martel says.
It’s been more than a week since 20,000 people in the N.W.T. were forced to leave their homes because of a number of wildfires.
On Aug. 18, an evacuation order was issued for Yellowknife as a wildfire approached.
Nearly 70 people were brought to Winnipeg while others are spread out over Alberta.
“It’s difficult because everybody, all of our friends and family are split up all over the place,” Martel says. “We don’t know how they’re doing or how they’re coping because they have no way of communicating. A lot of them don’t have phones.
Adam Loughton is also from Yellowknife.
He’s at the same hotel as Martel, but is setting up to sleep outside after being removed because of excessive noise.
“Everybody is still waiting for financial support we’ve basically been here for a week with no money,” he says. “We’ve had some support from the people. But as far as Red Cross, the hotel itself, the staff, they’ve been quite rude, don’t want to give us any sort of assistance.”
The Hilton where Martel is staying says it can’t discuss the situation.
Caroline Cochrane, the premier of the N.W.T., said if anyone needs assistance they can reach out to her through government email or on Facebook.
