Government prepared to order military airlift out of Yellowknife, defence minister says

CBC News | Posted: August 17, 2023 3:27 PM | Last Updated: August 18, 2023

Territorial government has ordered residents to leave Yellowknife by noon Friday

Image | Alta-NWT-Fire 20230815

Caption: Heavy smoke from nearby wildfires fills the sky in Yellowknife on Tuesday. (Angela Gzowski/The Canadian Press)

Defence Minister Bill Blair says he is prepared to order the Canadian Armed Forces to airlift residents out of Yellowknife as wildfires approach the city.

On Wednesday, Yellowknife residents were ordered to begin evacuating the city immediately as wildfires approached. The extraordinary evacuation order affects nearly 22,000 people.

Speaking on CBC News Network's Power & Politics, Blair said commercial airlines are still flying people out of the city and highways are still open for those leaving by road.

"When it is appropriate, we have all of the aircraft staged into the region and we can start moving them in and then get people out as necessary," Blair told guest host Heather Hiscox on Thursday.

WATCH | Defence minister discusses possibility of military airlift:

Media Video | Power & Politics : As fires rage in N.W.T., minister Blair says feds prepared to bring 'whatever resources are required'

Caption: Minister of National Defence Bill Blair explains how the federal government is helping the Northwest Territories as it battles wildfires.

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When pressed about the likelihood of an airlift, Blair said, "I think you should anticipate it."

Blair said he will be acting on the advice of the armed forces members who are working with emergency crews on the ground. He said an airlift operation could get underway within two hours of him giving the order.

The Royal Canadian Air Force has four aircraft that could help with evacuations and one on standby. They include:

One CC-130 J Hercules based in Yellowknife.
One CC-138 Twin Otter based in Yellowknife
Two CH-146 Griffon helicopters based in Yellowknife.
One CH-146 Griffon helicopter based in Edmonton on 12 hours' notice to move.

Image | Alta Wildfires Feds 20160504

Caption: A CC-130J Hercules transport aircraft sit on the tarmac at CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ont., on May 4, 2016. A similar aircraft is in Yellowknife. (Lars Hagberg/Canadian Press)

The military already has airlifted residents out of smaller towns in the region, such as Hay River and Fort Smith.

Blair encouraged residents to leave by road or on commercial airlines while those options are still available. He also noted that Transport Canada and commercial airlines are making exemptions to allow residents to bring their pets on evacuation flights.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened a high-level emergency meeting of the Incident Response Group made up of high-ranking officials and cabinet ministers to discuss the wildfire crisis in the Northwest Territories.

A source speaking on background said it's the most serious type of meeting the prime minister can hold.

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The Incident Response Group is described as "a dedicated, emergency committee that will convene in the event of a national crisis or during incidents elsewhere that have major implications for Canada." It has met in the past to discuss how to handle the 2022 blockades in Ottawa, the shooting down of Flight PS752 in Iran and the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

The group consists of Blair, Minister of Emergency Preparedness Harjit Sajjan, Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Services and Procurement Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Gary Anandasangaree, Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, Health Minister Mark Holland, Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez and Minister of Citizen Services Terry Beech.

Embed | Estimated fire perimeters

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A readout from the meeting said that Trudeau and the ministers are encouraging all residents to continue following the evacuation order.

"All ministers agreed on the importance of continuing to provide whatever support is needed to impacted provinces and territories, to protect the health, safety, and security of all Canadians," the readout said.

Trudeau posted a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the meeting.

"We continue to quickly mobilize resources across government, and our team remains in constant contact with its territorial counterparts. I want to make this very clear: as the situation develops, we'll be here to provide any and all support needed," the statement said.

Holland also posted a statement on X that the government is providing supplies to help evacuees.

"We are providing emergency supplies, such as beds and blankets, and will continue to do what we can to help those affected by the fires," he said.

A spokesperson for the Department of National Defence said the Canadian Armed Forces has about 120 members deployed to the territory to carry out reconnaissance and other activities.

"Basically, the situation is very fluid and evolving quickly," said Jessica Lamirande.

Yellowknife begins evacuation as wildfires approach

Preparing for emergencies and packing the essentials you may need in Yellowknife and elsewhere

Canadian Rangers are also helping to receive and process evacuees at the Yellowknife airport.

Earlier this week, Blair also authorized the Canadian Armed Forces to provide personnel and resources to help with Type 3 firefighting and evacuation, logistics, planning and co-ordination support.

The Canadian Coast Guard is also offering equipment, including water pumps.

The federal government says it's funding response and recovery activities for eligible First Nations communities through Indigenous Services Canada's Emergency Management Assistance Program.

The territorial government has provided the following information for residents:

N.W.T. residents who need to evacuate can register here.
Territorial wildfire updates can be found here. Report smoke or fire by calling 1-877-698-3473.
Emergency response resources can be found here.
The latest community statuses, including notices, alerts and orders, can be found here.
Additional information for evacuees can be found here.

Speaking at a press conference in Toronto on Thursday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called the situation in the Northwest Territories "extremely serious."

"Imagine what that means for families that are being told they need to pack up their belongings, their loved ones, their pets and then leave, get out of the city," he said.

"This is an example of how bad the forest fires have become now in our country where we're seeing unprecedented forest fires ... my thoughts are with the community."

WATCH | Singh says fires in N.W.T. are 'extremely serious'

Media Video | Politics News : Singh says fires in Northwest Territories are 'extremely serious'

Caption: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says these fires are an 'example of how bad the forest fires have become in our country.'

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Conservative emergency preparedness critic Dane Lloyd called on the government to extend the contracts of the international firefighters who have been in Canada much of the summer.

"It is imperative that international assistance continues to reach these at-risk areas, especially as crews battle fatigue after what has already been a long and challenging season," Lloyd said in a media statement Thursday.

Government prepared to order military airlift out of Yellowknife, defence minister says

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