A power plant operator in Jean Marie River has received a national industry award for his role in saving an Elder from a burning home earlier this year.
Electricity Canada gave a 2024 Lifesaving Award to Derwin Clille, who grabbed a ladder and used it to bring the occupant of the home to safety in August.
Cabin Radio reported on the fire at the time.
Andy Norwegian said the fire started in the only doorway of his 87-year-old brother Billy’s home, a building sent to Jean Marie River as a replacement for a house lost to a major flood in 2021.
Without any other means of leaving, Norwegian said his brother had to be rescued from a window. He said his sister, her daughter and a granddaughter, who were all in the home visiting at the time, “had difficulty getting out” but also made it to safety.
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Clille’s employer, the NWT Power Corporation, praised his “lifesaving efforts” on social media following the Electricity Canada awards ceremony.
Meanwhile, Naka Power said it had received a Leadership in Community Partners Award at the same event.
Naka, which used to be Northland Utilities, is a partnership between Atco and Denendeh Investments Incorporated. It distributes power in NWT communities like Yellowknife and, for the time being, Hay River.
Denendeh chief executive officer Darrell Beaulieu called the award “a clear reflection of the strength and collaboration between DII and Atco.”
