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

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.Theextraordinary 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:

As fires rage in N.W.T., minister Blair says feds prepared to bring 'whatever resources are required'

1 year ago

Duration 10:05

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

When pressed about the likelihood of anairlift, 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 evacuationsand one on standby. They include:

• One CC-130 J Herculesbased in Yellowknife.
• One CC-138 Twin Otterbased in Yellowknife
• Two CH-146 Griffon helicoptersbased in Yellowknife.
• One CH-146 Griffon helicopter based in Edmonton on 12 hours' notice to move.

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 conveneda high-level emergency meeting of theIncident Response Group made up of high-ranking officials and cabinet ministers to discuss the wildfire crisis in the Northwest Territories.

A sourcespeaking on background said it's the mostserious type of meeting the prime minister can hold.

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TheIncident Response Group isdescribed 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." Ithas met in the past to discuss how to handle the 2022 blockades in Ottawa, the shooting down ofFlight PS752 in Iran andthe killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

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

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 about120 members deployed to the territory to carry outreconnaissance and other activities.

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

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

Earlier this week, Blair also authorized theCanadian 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 offeringequipment, 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 whoneed to evacuate can register here.
• Territorial wildfire updatescan be found here. Report smoke or fire by calling 1-877-698-3473.
• Emergency response resourcescan be found here.
• The latest community statuses, including notices, alerts and orders,can be found here.
• Additional information for evacueescan 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'

Singh says fires in Northwest Territories are 'extremely serious'

1 year ago

Duration 0:58

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

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.