Whatì evacuees registered in Behchokǫ̀ are moving to Yellowknife on Wednesday, the Tłı̨chǫ Government says, and the Behchokǫ̀ evacuation centre will close.
People were being relocated by bus at lunchtime on Wednesday according to a short statement published to Facebook by the Tłı̨chǫ Government.
Meals will remain available at the culture centre in Behchokǫ̀ for evacuees who choose to stay with family or friends in the community. Yellowknife’s evacuation centre also offers meals.
Earlier in the week, government officials had said some evacuees were seeking relocation to Yellowknife.
“Many people are of the view that evacuees from Whatì should be in Yellowknife instead of Behchokǫ̀,” Whatì senior administrator Sherbaz Muhammad told Cabin Radio on Tuesday.
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“They think this is not the place for them to stay, they should be moved to the city of Yellowknife. I know the city is doing its best but maybe they are not ready to host everybody from Whatì,” he said at the time.
“It’s challenging, but I think people who ended up leaving Whatì at such short notice think services or facilities in Behchokǫ̀ are not adequate. And of course, they can’t be compared with what somebody can get in the city of Yellowknife.”
In a Facebook post that was published on Tuesday evening but later deleted, TG said 47 people were using cots at the Behchokǫ̀ evacuation centre and would instead be accommodated in Yellowknife.
Others staying at a Behchokǫ̀ motel for medical reasons or because of other requirements were expected to either stay there or move to a Yellowknife hotel if available, with either option paid for by TG, that now-deleted post stated.
Muhammad noted that the community government of Behchokǫ̀, like the city, had been “doing its best” to help everyone.
Miriam Bosiljevac contributed reporting.
