Latest news with #PeterBeatty
CBC
29-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Wildfire 'boxes in' some communities in northern Saskatchewan, chief says
Wildfire has closed several access roads, cutting off some communities in Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in northern Saskatchewan, according to Chief Peter Beatty. Though the communities are not currently at risk of wildfire, he says exposure to heavy smoke is a health concern.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
'There's fire all over the place': Wildfire forces mass evacuation of Pelican Narrows as only escape route threatened
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A rapidly advancing wildfire has forced the evacuation of people living in Pelican Narrows, a remote community in northern Saskatchewan, as flames threaten the sole access road and nearby Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN), which governs Pelican Narrows, declared a state of emergency on Tuesday(May 27) morning. Chief Peter Beatty emphasized the urgency: "It's a single road that goes south to Hanson Lake Road. The fire itself, when the winds shift late tonight or early tomorrow, it's going to drive that fire toward the access road into Pelican Narrows. That's why we're trying to get people out of the community, as many people as we can today."Residents were instructed to register at Pelican Narrows High School to board evacuation buses starting at 1 pm CST. Approximately 2,000 people remained in the community of 4,000 and were urged to leave immediately, either by bus or personal wildfire has already forced hundreds to relocate to centers in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and Flin road between Pelican Narrows and Sandy Bay, Highway 135, remains closed, and residents are advised not to use this route. Highway 106, known locally as the Hanson Lake Road, and several roads around Narrow Hills Provincial Park are also closed due to fires, the Campfire and the Shoe fire, which have been burning since early May north of Prince Albert, have merged into one, now referred to as the Shoe fire. This fire has prompted evacuations at Lower Fishing Lake, Piprell Lake, East Trout Lake, and Little Bear Lake, with a pre-evacuation notice for Whiteswan/Whelan of Tuesday morning, the fire had grown to more than 216,000 Ballantyne, a resident of Pelican Narrows, described the harrowing experience: "It's so scary. My hometown is burning. There's fire all over the place." He is now among the evacuees housed at the Saskatoon Hall Lake, about 230 kilometers north of Prince Albert, the Pisew wildfire expanded rapidly from 14,000 to 44,000 hectares within 24 hours. A mandatory evacuation affects about 380 people. A back burn was conducted to protect the community, but concerns remain. "We're kind of worried about if this back burn will hold," said Lac La Ronge Indian Band Coun. Norman Ross. "Yesterday, people were starting to panic because of the smoke [from the back burn], but it was doing what it's supposed to do."The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) reports 21 active wildfires across the province, with only five considered contained. Many communities, including Little Bear Lake, Lower Fishing Lake, and East Trout Lake, are under evacuation orders. Southeast of Prince Albert remains under a pre-alert, and special air quality statements are in SPSA has expanded the provincial fire ban to include all vacant Crown land, provincial parks within the provincial forest, and the provincial forest itself, effective as of 5 pm on May 26, ban prohibits any open fires, controlled burns, and fireworks in the designated areas. "An extreme fire risk exists across most of the province," said SPSA Vice-President of Operations Steve Roberts. "The majority of the active fires in the province are caused by human activity. Everyone needs to know that human-caused fires are preventable."
CBC
18-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation signs $630M settlement agreement with Ottawa
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation has signed a $630 million settlement with Ottawa that fulfills a Treaty 6 obligation to provide agricultural benefits to First Nations. "This settlement is about more than just compensation — it's about Canada honouring its treaty commitments," said Chief Peter Beatty in a news release. The settlement was finalized March 5 with Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree signing on behalf of Ottawa and is part of the so-called cows-and-plows settlement. In a previous interview, Anandasangaree announced 14 Saskatchewan First Nations would get a combined $1.72 billion. Treaties created between First Nations and the Crown made promises including hand tools such as spades, scythes and axes, as well as bigger equipment like plows, harrows and pit saws, to be shared among families. Many of these promises were never fulfilled. According to the news release, members of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) were allowed to review and vote on the agreement prior to the First Nation signing. PBCN said 93 per cent of people who voted were in favour of the settlement. "This agreement gives us a chance to build up our communities, create new opportunities, and set up future generations for success," Beatty stated in the news release. "This isn't just about the past — it's about what we do next." According to PBCN, the agreement includes financial compensation, a settlement trust and a finance code to ensure transparency.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation signs $630M settlement agreement with Ottawa
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation has signed a $630 million settlement with Ottawa that fulfills a Treaty 6 obligation to provide agricultural benefits to First Nations. "This settlement is about more than just compensation — it's about Canada honouring its treaty commitments," said Chief Peter Beatty in a news release. The settlement was finalized March 5 with Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree signing on behalf of Ottawa and is part of the so-called cows-and-plows settlement. In a previous interview, Anandasangaree announced 14 Saskatchewan First Nations would get a combined $1.72 billion. Treaties created between First Nations and the Crown made promises including hand tools such as spades, scythes and axes, as well as bigger equipment like plows, harrows and pit saws, to be shared among families. Many of these promises were never fulfilled. According to the news release, members of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) were allowed to review and vote on the agreement prior to the First Nation signing. PBCN said 93 per cent of people who voted were in favour of the settlement. "This agreement gives us a chance to build up our communities, create new opportunities, and set up future generations for success," Beatty stated in the news release. "This isn't just about the past — it's about what we do next." According to PBCN, the agreement includes financial compensation, a settlement trust and a finance code to ensure transparency. The PBCN comprises nine communities with more than 13,000 members stretching from Prince Albert to Pelican Narrows.
