'This is our home': P.A. grand chief says Sask. wildfire situation is dire, but northern people are ready to fight

Yahoo

6 days ago

PRINCE ALBERT — As Brian Hardlotte looked out across the North Saskatchewan River, the air was clear and the breeze was mild.
But it's been smoke, wind and fire that have preoccupied the mind of the grand chief of the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) as of late.
For many in Saskatchewan's north, including some of the member First Nations under the council, the wildfire situation is dire, Hardlotte says.
'The conditions this spring with no rainfall, not too much snow, and the high winds — the high winds are a big factor when it comes to drying the forest and the trees,' he said on Thursday night.
'We're fighting against, I guess, climate change, I can say.'
All of these environmental factors have led to the fires menacing northern Saskatchewan, causing the evacuations of thousands, putting others on notice and straining the resources available to stop the burns.
When Hardlotte looks to the sky, it's the long-term forecast he wonders about, and whether it will help or hinder efforts to control the fires.
He says he was glad to see Saskatchewan announce a state of emergency earlier on Thursday afternoon.
Now, he hopes that more supports will be available, not only to fight the fires, but to take care of the people displaced by them — wherever they may be taken in.
Packing up and fleeing from flames is nothing new for many northerners.
'It's something that we've been dealing with for years,' Hardlotte says.
Nonetheless, it's traumatizing.
'Especially for elders, to be displaced from their homes,' he says.
'It's really something, you know, coming into the cities. They're not used to the cities.'
He's thankful for partnerships, including with organizations like Red Cross, and with the First Nations themselves, whose staff members are being with those evacuated, in the centres and the hotels where they land.
Even something like food can be a challenge for those displaced, he says, noting efforts have often been made to provide traditional food to displaced people, offering them a familiar taste in an extremely trying situation.
He commends the cities and smaller centres opening their communities to those displaced.
'It's a team effort.'
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Hardlotte notes that the province has instituted a Saskatchewan-wide fire ban — something he hopes people take seriously.
'Keep a watch out,' he says, asking that all communities with firefighting equipment have it ready to go.
He notes that space to house evacuees is limited and preventing further evacuation, if possible, is top of mind for him.
'The resources are really depleted in the whole province. That's when the communities can come together and be prepared.'
Hardlotte knows what it takes to fight fires. He's been on the frontlines.
When he thinks back decades, he remembers folks coming from all around northern Saskatchewan, and even some from down south, to pitch in. Firefighting wasn't their full-time gig, but they were ready to go to work. They still are, he says.
He welcomes crews coming from elsewhere while noting that in years past, he's seen those from the area fight fire with a special sense of purpose.
'This is our home. These are our traplines. This is our forest. These are our animals that we rely on. We were proud to be out there,' he says.
'We can be like that again.'
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