Northwest Territories Premier Caroline Cochrane was a social worker before entering politics, so when the territory ordered everyone in its capital to leave last week due to encroaching wildfires, she said she checked to make sure homeless people weren害羞草研究所檛 forgotten.
害羞草研究所淢y heart害羞草研究所檚 with those people. I害羞草研究所檝e worked in that field for over 20 years,害羞草研究所� Cochrane told an online news conference about the firefighting efforts over the weekend, when she was asked about government plans to keep in touch with Yellowknife害羞草研究所檚 homeless.
Cochrane, who is among the nearly 70 per cent of N.W.T. residents forced to flee the fire threat, responded that the government worked closely with shelters in the city of about 20,000 to make sure people were being brought to the evacuation centre.
But she said she knew that many of the most vulnerable people 害羞草研究所� in fact, most of them 害羞草研究所� don害羞草研究所檛 use the shelter all of the time.
害羞草研究所淥n Thursday morning, I drove to the shelter 害羞草研究所� the women害羞草研究所檚 shelter at that time because I know a lot of them because of my past 害羞草研究所� and I realized that there were some that were still on the street.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淔rom Thursday morning, from 8 in the morning until after midnight 害羞草研究所� the whole day 害羞草研究所� I recruited one of the homeless men and we drove through Yellowknife, over and over, to every single place, trying to find people.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e were going into places I normally would not go, behind buildings, into bushes.害羞草研究所�
Cochrane said she wanted to give a shout-out to the man from the Sahtu region. By midnight, she said, they害羞草研究所檇 managed to find about a dozen people and get them to an evacuation centre.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 hopeful that not only the ones that were in the shelter at the time, that 害羞草研究所� the vast majority that were on the streets have now been evacuated.害羞草研究所�
Fire information officer Mike Westwick said Sunday that a special effort was undertaken to ensure Yellowknife害羞草研究所檚 homeless population was safe.
害羞草研究所淭here was significant outreach to people experiencing homelessness,害羞草研究所� Westwick said. 害羞草研究所淭here was good success getting them set up with supports in Alberta.害羞草研究所�
Jennifer Young of the territory害羞草研究所檚 Emergency Management Organization said homeless evacuees have been registered in the centres where they arrive, and that various mental health and addictions supports, as well as social workers, are being made available to them.
RCMP Cpl. Matt Halstead said based on their observations, as well discussions with other officials, it is believed that 害羞草研究所渢he vast majority, if not all of our shelter users and underhoused have made it to evacuation centres.害羞草研究所�
On Thursday, Ed Fraser was with dozens of others from the city害羞草研究所檚 homeless shelters waiting in a long line at Yellowknife害羞草研究所檚 Sir John Franklin high school to leave the city.
On Sunday, Fraser, who is 50 and is dealing with a dislocated shoulder, said he was being lodged with other evacuees at an airport hotel in Calgary.
害羞草研究所淎t least we have a roof over our head,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淎nd we害羞草研究所檝e got food vouchers.害羞草研究所�
But he said many of his companions smoke and there害羞草研究所檚 no money for cigarettes. And he said it害羞草研究所檚 $6 to wash and dry their clothes.
A 2021 point-in-time count found 312 people were experiencing homelessness in Yellowknife, more than half of whom were chronically homeless. Indigenous people accounted for nearly 92 per cent of those experiencing homelessness compared to 23 per cent of the city害羞草研究所檚 total population.
In May, Cochrane tabled a long-awaited plan to support people experiencing homelessness in the N.W.T. and prevent others from becoming homeless.
She said at the time that she understands the challenges facing both people experiencing homelessness and front-line workers. She said she was a 害羞草研究所渟treet kid害羞草研究所� sleeping on people害羞草研究所檚 couches at the age of 13 and worked as a social worker for 20 years before entering politics.
害羞草研究所淧eople always say that we need to support homeless people, but homeless people support us as well,害羞草研究所� she said on the weekend when speaking about the man who helped her tour the city last week.
害羞草研究所淗e became one of my good friends.害羞草研究所�
READ ALSO:
