Guide to evacuation centres and places to stay for NWT evacuees

As the majority of Northwest Territories residents remain displaced by wildfires, accommodation supports are being provided across several locations.

On this page is a list of information and resources we have found so far related to evacuation centres and places to stay. This list is not exhaustive. If you know of a resource we’re missing, email our team to let us know.

For information on evacuating by air or road, consult our dedicated guide. We also have a separate guide for financial resources and other supports.

Facebook pages where information and supports for NWT evacuees include: Yellowknife and area evacuees, NWT wildfires safety check, Yellowknife evacuees in Fort Providence, and Hay River and (formerly) Behchokǫ̀ evacuees, Hay River Helps, and Fort Smith and NWT evacuee supports in Fort McMurray. Information and questions are also being shared on Yellowknife’s Rant and Raves page.

Evacuees can register with the Canadian Red Cross at the Expo Centre, by calling 1-800-863-6582 or online.

Evacuation centres

Information about evacuation centres for NWT residents can be found here.

Fort Providence

Free camping is available for evacuees at Fort Providence Territorial Park.

A Facebook group has been created for evacuees in Fort Providence.

Fort Simpson

The Village of Fort Simpson says the recreation centre will be open 24 hours for evacuees.

“We will have cots set up, hot coffee, tea, and snacks readily available. Meals are for registered evacuees.”

Anyone with questions should call acting SAO Mitch at 867-695-6501, or assistant SAO Jenny at 867-695-1753.

Evacuees from Kakisa can camp at Fort Simpson Territorial Park free of charge.

Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation Chief Kele Antoine said that although Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́/Fort Simpson is not an official evacuation centre, the community will help accommodate individuals who have no choice but to head there.

Camping

Parks Canada is offering free admission and front-country stays at national parks in BC and Alberta for evacuees.

Evacuees can also camp for free in Alberta Parks for up to 10 nights. Evacuees are required to first register online or at a reception centre. You can then call Alberta Parks at 1-877-537-2757 between 9am and 5pm to book a campsite, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis. More information can be found here here.

Alberta

A full list of evacuation centres and supports in Alberta can be found on the provincial government’s website, including which evacuation centres still have capacity.

Accommodations will be extended indefinitely for evacuees who have registered with an Alberta evacuation centre, the GNWT said.

Currently, Yellowknife evacuees travelling by road to the province are asked to arrange their own accommodation if possible.

Residents from South Slave communities – Hay River, K’atl’odeeche First Nation Enterprise, Fort Smith and – who are evacuating by road to Alberta, should head to an evacuation centre in Edmonton if they need supports.

Bezanson

Maggie and Norm Swift are offering space for people evacuating with horses. They have a quarter section in Bezanson, Alberta with graze and water for horses. They also have four campsite electrical hookups, but no sewer or drinking water. Call 250-710-5030 or 250-818-1961.

British Columbia

Teresa Thompson is offering an RV hookup site in Coldstream, in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, for a family in need of a safe place to stay. “We are a long way from you, but have also, like so many others been affected by fires in the past,” Thompson wrote.

There are no official evacuation centres or government supports for NWT residents in BC.

Buck Lake

John and Melinda Carrol are offering a fifth wheel RV in their yard that can sleeps four people, as well as space to park RVs. “They wouldn’t have full hookups right at their parking spot but would have access to water, power and septic.” They can be reached at 780-682-2446.

Calgary

The City of Calgary announced it is committed to helping as many as 5,000 evacuees find shelter and additional supports, including mental health supports, according to a news release. For people flying in, a reception centre has been set up at the Calgary International Airport (2000 Airport Rd NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6W5). For those driving, there will be a reception centre at the Westin Calgary Airport hotel (671 Aero Dr NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7Y5) after 2pm on Thursday. Emotional and wellness support teams will also be present. The City is working with partners to accommodate pets with shelter and supplies as needed. More information can be found on the city’s website.

Sol Zia, executive director of the Calgary Hotel Association, told Global News that at least 2,000 rooms had been made available as of Thursday, adding that many hotels were relaxing pet rules and expanding dining hours and facilities. Zia also said that hotels have been working to get items evacuees might need, such as basic toiletries. 

On Friday afternoon, the territorial government said evacuation centres in Calgary were “quickly reaching capacity” and remaining evacuation flights were headed to Winnipeg.

Hillhurst United Church and private citizens have 50 open homes for people to move into, free of charge. Meals and transportation will be provided. Dogs and cats are welcome. Visit hillhurstunitedhelps.com to be matched with one of the houses.

Daniel Looh has two rooms available for evacuees in Calgary, according to a Facebook post.

Fiona Graham is offering an extra room in her house available for any evacuees looking for accommodation. She can be contacted at 403-479-4984.

Rob Mulloy says: “We have a house on 20 acres that sleeps six on the west edge of Calgary. It would also be good for dogs or horses. There is room for multiple campers.”

Caeli Callaghan, a former Yellowknifer in Calgary, says: “While I can’t accommodate for any people, I can take in a cat or a dog for temporary accommodations. I have cats of my own so the pets would just have to be friendly. My mom is also based in Calgary and is welcoming any evacuees, and her household is LGBT+ friendly. She can take people and cats, but no dogs.” Contact Caeli by email for more info. 

Pat Rozitis, who lives 10 minutes from Calgary, says they have two bedrooms available.

Eaglesham

Mike Mckay says free camping spots are available for fifth wheels and tents at the Agricultural Fairgrounds in Eaglesham, located between Peace River and Grande Prairie. “The spots are not serviced but there is a washroom with water and flush toilets and the campground is next door to a convenience store.” Call Mike at 587-343-6410

Edmonton

The City of Edmonton is opening a temporary reception centre at the Edmonton EXPO Centre (7515 118 Avenue NW in Hall C) on Friday, August 18, at noon. The city is advising evacuees to go directly to the reception centre upon arrival in Edmonton. The centre is providing temporary lodging, food services, clothing, animal care and health care. On Friday afternoon, we heard things were moving slowly at the reception centre.

From the city’s website: “Registered wildfire evacuees with wristbands will receive free admission to all City of Edmonton recreation and leisure centres (find a recreation centre by selecting a quadrant and/or amenities) where they can shower and access recreation facilities. The wristbands will also provide free admission to the Edmonton Valley Zoo, Muttart Conservatory and John Janzen Nature Centre.”

Amber Hesla created this document of hotels in Edmonton, pricing and availability included.

Troy Dieb as an acreage 10 minutes north of the city for campers and is offering electric and water He can be contacted at tdeib@hotmail.com or 780-935-6087.

Terry Scheiris, who has land west of Edmonton off Highway 43, has room for RV units, with water and power available. Contact (780) 995-7619.

Dawn Piggott, 25 minutes west of Edmonton, has two large campers that can sleep eight (with room for a playpen too). They can also accommodate campers and pets (though the property is not fully fenced).

We heard the Radisson Hotel Edmonton South is offering an evacuee rate of $89 per room, excluding breakfast. The hotel has a pet fee of $20.

Robert is offering an acreage about an hour southeast of Edmonton for people with RVs, campers or tents to stay. He can be reached at jamezdean55@hotmail.com.

High Level

The Town of High Level Sports Complex – 10101 105 Street – has opened as a registration centre. Evacuees will have access to refreshments and snacks, as well as cots and blankets if they need. We are told there is coffee and friendly faces.

The High Level post office has said evacuees can have mail sent to genreal delivery at the post office. To do this, address your mail to: Your Name, General Delivery, High Level, AB, T0H 1Z0.

Evacuees can camp on the green spaces in the baseball diamonds behind the Sportsplex complex and aquatic centre. RVs can use the gravel parking area between the facilities.

Home Hardware in High Level is opening up its parking lot to evacuees. “There is some power available on the building, as well as on the perimeter. We also have water available for pets on the south side of the building, accessible from the parking lot.”

NorthStar Chrysler is offering free camping spaces for evacuees with trailers and RVs. Water, power and sewer will be provided. The town has opened up overnight street parking for those with an RV or trailer. There is also free parking for RVs in the north side of the Town Office parking lot.

A Mackenzie County resident is offering space on their property to be used for free camping. They are located 6.2 km north of High Level on Highway 35. Look for bright signs indicating free camping.

East of High Level, Dwayne Dyck said Bible Camp facilities are available for people to camp for a night on their drive south. “We can offer a bed for a night and a shower and space for pets to run around free of charge. We will have some food as well.” The camp is located 10 min south of highway 58 about 30 minutes east of High Level. Search for Eagle’s Nest Ministry Centre on Google maps or call Dwayne at 780-285-0351 to book.

Ethan Deacon with Gregg Distributors said they are offering their side yard for campers. They also have power you can tie into. You can give them a call at 780-926-2521.

Outside of High Level, we received a note from someone who said they stayed at Eagles Nest Ministry Centre. They said it is free, with beds, kitchen, helpful kind staff, and dogs are allowed. However, there is no internet and it is 30 minutes from High Level. 

As another option in High Level, Abe said: “I have a 6 man tent, a 12×14 canvas tent, and if there is a small family I can also offer a tent trailer, all of which I can set up in HIGH LEVEL with access to water, power, and toilet.” Room for a few more campers, trailers or tents is also available. For more info, text (780) 821-9117.

Hythe

Wendell Tommy in Hythe has room on his farm for people to park RV’s or had a 5th wheel trailer that sleeps six people. Call (780) 814-3611 to get in touch.

Innisfail

Amanda Minty has offered space in her yard near Innisfail, Alberta, for evacuees. She said there’s room for around five RVs and she also has a large tent she can set up. For more information, she can be reached at 403-896-2971. 

La Crete

Bernie Doerksen said he may be able to host one or two evacuee families depending on their needs. He can be reached at 780-841-1769.

Lamont

Peggy Moth, who has camper space and runs a 55-room hotel, is offering to help evacuees.

Leduc

On Thursday, evacuees from the NWT could register at the Leduc Recreation Centre – 4330 Black Gold Drive. As of Friday morning, the Leduc evacuation centre was full and evacuees were being sent further south to evacuation centres in Calgary or Edmonton (find more info about these centres below).

The Leduc centre opened at 8am on Thursday and evacuees were provided with a hotel room and food. The phone number previously provided (780-418-6087) appears to be disconnected.

On Thursday, Kelsey Peddle said the centre in Leduc indicated it was providing accommodation for roughly six nights at the moment if needed. There was no assistance for food, groceries or gas at the time, Peddle said on Thursday. “The centre has a section if you need anything for your baby, if you require health services and a section for water/juice, snacks and toiletries,” Peddle wrote.

Four Points in Leduc is offering discounted accommodation. Call 604-348-7466 to book.

Manning

A resident in Manning is offering space on his property for RVs. Power and hookups are available.

County of Northern Lights Reeve Terry Ungarian says the county and the Town of Manning are willing to offer assistance to NWT evacuees. The county and the town are located in northern Alberta, about 200 km south of High Level.

North of Manning, a sign beside the highway advertises Free NWT camping in Hotchkiss.

Meander River

The school in Meander River has set up an evacuation centre with cots. The school is located roughly 1 or 2 km behind the gas station on a dirt road.

Myrnam

Wendy McConachie, who lives in Myrnam, Alberta, has offered to host a family. People are also welcome to bring a tent and set up in her yard. Myrnam is about two hours northeast of Edmonton. McConachie does have cats and dogs, she warned, in case people have allergies.

Olds

Carol and Dan in Olds, Alberta, have two large bedrooms with a private bathroom that they are offering to evacuees. “Not a lot of furniture, since we have just moved in. But we can provide cots, sleeping bags, pillows, towels, linens and the area is private, clean and quiet.” For more information, call 604-922-0588.

Peace River

South Slave evacuees can register at the Baytex Center to receive accomdations and food vouchers.

If you are looking for a place to stay with pets in Peace River, it may be worth asking the Best Western Plus if they would be willing to accommodate. We heard that the hotel typically doesn’t allow pets but is allowing people with animals to stay for a small fee ($30 per pet).

Close to Peace River, there is free camping at Strong Creek campground. 

Pam Schipholt can accommodate two RVs at their acreage outside of Peace River. Water and power availbale, and pets welcome. Contact 780-617-2005 or 780- 618-5783.

Several stores, including Canadian Tire, are offering 10 percent off to evacuees.

Red Deer

There is information about supports for the evacuees on the City of Red Deer’s website. Evacuees are advised to register at the GH Dawe Community Centre (6175 67 St), which is open 24/7. There, they will receive vouchers for hotels and food, as well as free transit and recreation passes.

Regarding the Red Deer evacuation centre, Katie Peterson wrote: “I have evacuated to Red Deer and wanted to let you know that they have an incredible evacuation centre. There’s great signage, staff are incredibly friendly and everything is seamlessly organized. They are offering evacuees hotels for themselves and pets, free city transportation passes for the bus, free access to all city recreation centres and meal tickets that are accepted at various locations around town. In addition they are providing personal hygiene items and items for pets.”

Rachel Mandy is offering a place for evacuees passing through Red Deer to freshen up, shower and rest. There will also be soup, bannock, tea and coffee, Mandy said in a Facebook post.

Dwayne and Anita Volk are offering a room for evacuees. They can be reached at 780-742-1243.

Stettler

Charlie Spring has a single spare bedroom in Stettler, east of Red Deer.

Trochu

Nancy Miller and Jeremie Roye say they have a couch and two beds for adults needing somewhere to sleep, and have offered up their backyard for tents. They can be reached at 403-392-5318 or 403-848-1555.

Whitecourt

We have been told that the evacuation centre in Whitecourt (Allen And Jene Millar Centre 58 Sunset Boulevard) has vouchers for food and hotels for evacuees.

Joan Keating of the Ramada by Wyndham Whitecourt recommends that evacuees head to the evacuation centre to get vouchers before heading to the hotel, where they can use the vouchers on a few days’ worth of food and lodging. She added that the Ramada is willing to accommodate evacuees for longer if needed.  

Whitehorse

Ruth Nielsen is offering two bedrooms with a private bathroom and a separate entrance. They are not currently furnished but she says she can get one twin bed.

Winnipeg

The First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba (FNSSM) has been providing cultural and family support to evacuees. FNHSSM’s direct line is (204) 942-9400. You can also reach the Manitoba Inuit Association at (204) 774-6848 or Tunngasugit Inuit Resource Centre at (204) 416-8910.