Tataskweyak Cree Nation residents start to return home after lengthy evacuation

Two communities were preparing Tuesday to welcome back their residents after the months-long threat of wildfires receded. Some 2,400 people started returning to their homes in Tataskweyak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, two months after they were forced to leave by encroaching fire. “It’s very good news this week,” Chief Doreen Spence said in a video posted to Facebook Monday night. People will have to throw out food from their refrigerators because the community has been evacuated since late May and plagued with power outages, she added. Tataskweyak, 700 kilometres north of Winnipeg, was initially threatened by one fire, and problems soon erupted at the local water treatment plant and prevented people from returning. Destroying seven homes Another fire broke out July 4, sweeping into the community and destroying seven homes. Residents will be re-entering in stages, from Winnipeg, Niagara Falls, Ont., and other areas. The last group — elders and families with young children — are scheduled to return Friday and Saturday. In Saskatchewan, about 700 people in Beauval can start returning home Wednesday after being out of the village for nearly a month due to fires. Mayor Rick Laliberte said in a video on social media the state of emergency will remain in effect until Aug. 6 to allow officials to provide services to those who aren’t comfortable returning, including people with health issues, children and seniors. “Beauval itself is safe from fire,” he said of the village 400 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon. “(But) we’re not out of fire season yet.” Government update  Many fires remained out of control in the Prairie provinces. The one near Tataskweyak was listed at 250 square kilometres in the most recent Manitoba government update. A fire near Snow Lake, Man., an evacuated community of 1,000 people, measured 280 square kilometres. Crews battled a flare-up on a golf course overnight, a town official said in a written statement. In Beauval, Laliberte said the military has moved in to help contain the nearby blaze, along with firefighters from Ontario, Quebec and Mexico. He said a curfew remains in place and there are road closures to Jans Bay, west of Beauval. The mayor also warned people to stay out of burned-out areas. “The fire came right into our community and as you will see it, it’s quite a devastation,” Laliberte said. “But we are safe, our homes were saved by the firefighters, so there’s much appreciation to our firefighting teams.” Saskatchewan reported 60 active wildfires as of Tuesday, including 11 uncontained. In Manitoba, many areas of the province were under severe smoke-health warnings and advisories. Continue Reading