SaskatchewanWhile facing questions from the official Opposition, Premier Scott Moe rose in the legislature and apologized for not visiting the community of Denare Beach, Sask., sooner. More than 200 residences were destroyed by wildfire in JuneAlexander Quon · CBC News · Posted: Oct 27, 2025 6:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesSaskatchewan Premier Scott Moe speaks during a news conference last week. On Monday, he apologized in the legislature for not visiting the wildfire-ravaged community of Denare Beach sooner. (Alexander Quon/CBC)Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has apologized for not visiting a northern village ravaged by a wildfire earlier this summer. On Monday, Moe faced questions from the Saskatchewan NDP about the province’s response to the wildfire that swept through the northeast community of Denare Beach in early June. More than 200 residences were destroyed as a result of the fire. In response, the premier rose in the legislative assembly and acknowledged he should have visited sooner.”There was a period of time when there should have been a leader of this province in the community of Denare Beach to provide the support, personal support, Mr. Speaker, for those families,” Moe said. “I wasn’t there and for that, I apologize to the folks that are here today [and] through them, to the other community members in Denare Beach.” Moe said that the provincial government is going to work with the community “every step of the way” as it rebuilds. Moe visited Denare Beach at the end of September, in a move that surprised local officials who had said they wished the premier came sooner.A small group of Denare Beach residents, including Rhonda Werbicki and Dustin Trumbley, were at the legislature on Monday and heard Moe’s apology. Saskatchewan NDP MLA Jordan McPhail, centre, is joined by Rhonda Werbicki and Dustin Trumbley, two residents of Denare Beach, as they speak with media at the provincial legislature on Monday. (Kirk Fraser/CBC News)Werbicki called it a “good first step” and something she personally needed. “There is still a lot to follow. Those are words and so I’d like to see some action behind it,” she said. Trumbley thanked the premier for making his first “public apology” about the fire. “It means a lot. We encourage him to come to Denare Beach, to tell everybody,” he said.”They all deserve to hear it.” WATCH | Denare Beach resident prepares to rebuild:’It feels just vacant’: Denare Beach resident Rhonda Werbicki prepares to rebuild in wake of wildfireRhonda Werbicki lost her home in the wildfire that destroyed parts of the northern community of Denare Beach, Sask., in June 2025. She speaks with CBC News at her empty lot about the emotional toll of rebuilding.Trumbley also took aim at Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod and called for him to resign from the position. Trumbley said the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency has repeatedly let northern residents down and that it will take years to restore faith in the agency. Trumbley said he believes McLeod’s resignation would be a good place to start. “I think Tim McLeod should really, really rethink his job and maybe he’s not right for that position,” Trumbley said. ‘Restoring trust’The provincial government remains under intense scrutiny about its response to this summer’s wildfire season. The Opposition NDP have raised concerns brought forward by residents in northern Saskatchewan that the province was not prepared for the wildfires, including the blaze that destroyed much of Denare Beach.Moe’s government has also been criticized for a lack of firefighting equipment while nearly half of the water bomber fleet was grounded during the worst of wildfire season.A B.C.-based company has alleged that the provincial government overpaid by approximately $100 million for its new firefighting planes. Jordan McPhail, the NDP’s critic for northern affairs, said the province needs to provide resources to municipalities and communities across northern Saskatchewan. “Apologizing for not going up to a community soon enough is one step, but the next step is restoring trust to the people of the north,” McPhail said. WATCH | Drone video shows cleanup in Denare Beach nearly 5 months after wildfire:Drone video shows cleanup in Denare Beach, Sask., nearly 5 months after destructive wildfireA wildfire tore through the northern community of Denare Beach, Sask., at the beginning of June 2025, wiping out 230 homes. Nearly five months later, the rubble and ash is mostly cleared away and rebuilding has begun.ABOUT THE AUTHORAlexander Quon is the provincial affairs reporter for CBC Saskatchewan. He has been a reporter with CBC Saskatchewan since 2021 and is happy to be working in his hometown of Regina after half a decade in Atlantic Canada. He has previously worked with the CBC News investigative unit in Nova Scotia and Global News in Halifax. Alexander specializes in freedom of information requests and data reporting. He can be reached at: alexander.quon@cbc.ca. FacebookTwitterWith files from The Canadian Press
Sask. premier apologizes to Denare Beach residents for not visiting fire-ravaged community sooner
