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The people running the NWT government’s review of last year’s wildfires and evacuations haven’t approached Mayor of Yellowknife Rebecca Alty yet. She’s worried about it.
“I worry that people aren’t going to participate in that one because it’ll be too distant,” she said in a podcast released on Friday, a year to the day after the city she leads began evacuating because of oncoming wildfires.
Around 19,000 people left Yellowknife by road and air, some 7,000 or more vehicles streaming down the tiny, lonely highway to safety while dozens of aircraft carried out a two-day airlift. Residents were kept away from their homes for three weeks.
The city’s own review of what happened last August and September is complete, with its own set of criticisms – things like communication are paramount – and a list of recommendations, drawn up by independent contractor KPMG.
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The territorial government’s wider review has begun later than planned and is expected to wrap up at the end of this year.
“It does need to get going,” said Alty of the GNWT’s review, not least because the city’s review kept finding a key action item is improving how the municipality and territory work together.
Listen to the podcast to hear the mayor talk more broadly about:
- how her job evolved during the evacuation;
- how she and the city approached communication with residents;
- whether she believes public trust in government remains damaged, a year later;
- what lessons have been learned; and
- what might have happened differently before the fires arrived.
Get the podcast on Apple Music, Spotify and other platforms via this link.
“I think we’ve taken a lot of steps,” the mayor concluded.
“I really hope that if, heaven forbid, it happens again, we’re in a better space as a community.”
