NorthOne of Yellowknife’s school divisions says it would accept registrations from Whatı̀ and Fort Providence students until those communities’ evacuation orders lift.Students from Whatı̀ and Fort Providence had to leave days after school startedDevon Tredinnick · CBC News · Posted: Sep 03, 2025 11:11 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoThe Yellowknife Education District No. 1 building in Yellowknife. The school district says students who have left Whatı̀ and Fort Providence can register in Yellowknife during the evacuation if they want. (Sidney Cohen/CBC)Editor’s note: This story has been clarified throughout to more accurately reflect the comments of the Tłı̨chǫ Community Services Agency. It has also been updated to include information from Yellowknife Education District No. 1.One of Yellowknife’s school divisions says it would accept registrations from Whatı̀ and Fort Providence students until those communities’ evacuation orders lift.Shirley Zouboules, the superintendent for Yellowknife Education District No. 1, said the division would temporarily welcome students if parents want to register children.Zouboules didn’t say how many, if any, students have registered so far.Whatı̀, a community of about 600, and Fort Providence, a hamlet of about 700, are both under evacuation orders due to wildfires burning nearby.Linsey Hope, the director of education for the Tłı̨chǫ Community Services Agency, said about 125 students between junior kindergarten and high school had been registered at the Mezi Community School in Whatı̀ this year. They started classes on Aug. 25, and had to leave the community days later.She said the school has about 20 staff, and it’s important they take care of themselves, too.She said the hope is Tłı̨chǫ students will be able to return home to their own school soon and there aren’t currently plans to have them attend school elsewhere, but the agency would “look at providing other supports” if the evacuation continues for long and it appreciates the support from organizations in Yellowknife.”Right now, what we’re trying to do is make sure everyone’s immediate needs are taken care of,” said Hope. “They’re safely housed, and they have the resources they need to take care of themselves, their families and asking folks to get whatever mental health supports in place before we try to take on any other priorities.”CBC also reached out to Dehcho Divisional Education Council (DDEC) superintendent Donna Miller-Fry. In an email, she said her priorities are meeting the immediate needs of evacuated staff and students, including their mental health.Aside from the evacuation order for Fort Providence, whose school falls under the DDEC, there is also an evacuation alert in Jean Marie River due to a wildfire.”We are currently organizing our resources to support the families of Jean Marie River should they need to evacuate to Fort Simpson,” she added.CorrectionsA previous version of this story incorrectly implied that students from Whatı̀ will be attending YK1 schools. In fact, YK1 says students are welcome to register should they want to attend.Sep 04, 2025 6:45 PM EDTABOUT THE AUTHORDevon Tredinnick is a reporter with CBC North in Yellowknife. You can reach him at devon.tredinnick@cbc.ca.
Yellowknife schools open to students from evacuated communities
