Â鶹´«Ã½

Climate and Environment

    • From limited weddings to shuttered businesses: How Yellowknife residents are facing evacuation

    Share

    Bradley Dawley’s week has unfolded in ways he could’ve never imagined.

    The Yellowknife resident and his fiancée were prepared to tie the knot on Saturday at a ceremony with 130 guests, but after an evacuation order was called in the city of about 22,000 residents due to the threat of nearby wildfires, their plans started to come undone one by one.

    Thinking on their feet and still planning to evacuate by Friday morning, Dawley and his fiancée decided the best course of action would be to get married sooner — since both their parents had made the journey to the territorial capital for the occasion and their photographer was still in town.

    The two said their vows in front of a small crowd Thursday afternoon as a cloud of smoke hung over them and firefighters ran in their vicinity, working to limit the devastation in the community.

    Dawley said they kept the ceremony intimate so as not to put anybody else in danger, but he still felt “conflicted†about the entire situation.

    “Instead of 130 people, it ended up being just nine of us,†he told CTVNews.ca in an interview Thursday, an hour after the wedding ceremony wrapped up.

    “It's been really strange.â€

    Residents all throughout Yellowknife were scrambling on Thursday to fireproof their properties, pack their belongings and prepare for the unknown in the days and weeks ahead due to the phased evacuation order that was triggered the night before by wildfires spreading in the region. As of Thursday, there were , which had affected an area of approximately 21,262 square kilometres.

    The newlyweds had their truck packed with some paintings, cans of maple syrup and their passports, ready for their drive from Yellowknife to cross into Alberta on Friday, when their parents would be taking chartered flights to Alberta as well.

    “We're definitely scared, but you take it in stride,†Dawley said.

    “We're looking at the sky and it's a nice, bright blue day outside, but we know that there is a threat impeding us right now.â€

    Heavy smoke from nearby wildfires fills the sky in Yellowknife on Tuesday, August 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Angela Gzowski

    Tony Brushett, who runs the Salvation Army in the Northwest Territories, said his organization was working to get “extremely vulnerable†residents with physical health, mental health and addictions issues out of the community as soon as possible.

    In total, he said roughly 100 clients of the charitable organization were ready to be flown to three different parts of Alberta — Fort McMurray, Edmonton and Calgary.

    Brushett, his wife and their son plan to drive to Calgary from Highway 3 — the only way out of Yellowknife by car at the moment — either Thursday evening or Friday morning.

    “I don't feel like (the fire is) gonna come and engulf the city, but I understand nobody can take chances,†he told CTVNews.ca over the phone Thursday as he loaded his car for the journey.

    “We'll just drive a couple of days away and stay close by and be ready to come back when they give us the all clear.â€

    Brushett said the mood in Yellowknife has been “all over the place†during this wildfire season, which has forced the evacuations of several communities in the Northwest Territories. 

    At one point on Thursday, he said he saw people out shopping, dining at restaurants and at the post office like “nothing was going on,†but an hour or so later, when the wind caused smoke to drift back into the community, “the anxiety levels of a lot of people†went back up again.

    “And if you were to walk down the streets here, most days now remind me of the COVID days; everybody's masked,†Brushett added.

    Kyle Thomas, who owns a micro-bakery and farm store in Yellowknife with his wife that was forced to shut down on Thursday, was trying his best to exude calm.

    The couple was planning to stick it out in Yellowknife for as long as they could because they were concerned about leaving their farm animals, bees and produce behind, Thomas said.

    Vehicles line-up for fuel at Fort Providence, N.W.T., on the only road south from Yellowknife, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

    “If we leave for an extended period of time and there is no rain or what have you, then that is a loss to us and that's something that we don't want to grapple with, even at this time,†he said.

    In the meantime, Thomas said he was counting on the efforts of firefighters and military personnel who were called into the Northwest Territories to keep fires to a minimum, along with the additional fireproofing of his farm that he planned to do with his newly married friend Dawley, who runs a contracting business.

    “Running any restaurant or food production farm has very tight margins as it is. We're definitely not the only ones in town who are going to roll those dice to see how it goes, so we're just going to hope that it's not for a long time,†he added.

    Dr. Courtney Howard, an emergency room doctor who is from Yellowknife, said she was trying her best not to “doomscroll,†or spend an excessive amount of time reading negative news online about what was happening in her hometown, on Thursday.

    Howard, who was the lead author of that found that extended exposure to wildfire smoke is associated with an increased number of ER visits for asthma and primary care visits for pneumonia and coughing, said she’s concerned for the wellbeing of everyone impacted.

    “They've been living in that for weeks now (in the Northwest Territories),†Howard, who was in Ottawa for a conference, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview Thursday.

    “So that means that they have been cooped up in their houses, irritable, unable to go outside and exercise and connect with the land the way they usually would and also tracking these wildfires that have been coming steadily closer, so that feeling of impending doom and uncertainty and what should I do has been really, really difficult.â€

    Howard said she’s been keeping regular contact with her sister, who has been living in her house in Yellowknife for the past year while she was completing a master’s degree in England, and guiding her through the evacuation order and ongoing wildfire season.

    “We've been in constant communication with her about what she should do and how she should go about FireSmarting our house,†Howard said. 

    Fortunately, she said her sister had a flight to Penticton, B.C., previously booked for Thursday, so she was able to get out safely. Still, Howard is wondering how long she and the rest of her community will have to wait until they can return home.

    “We're all just now sending energy and best wishes to everybody who is having to drive out through the long stretches of highway and in an uncertain fire situation and extending positivity and helpful weather patterns their way.â€

    Several crowdfunding campaigns have been set up to support those impacted by the wildfires in the Northwest Territories including the .

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

    Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

    Canada

    • A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    • Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.

    • The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

    • A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province’s police watchdog.

    World

    Politics

    • Murray Sinclair’s family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale—Langley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    • LIVE

      LIVE

      Thousands of people are gathered in downtown Vancouver to observe the city’s 100th Remembrance Day ceremony.

    • A suspect was arrested for allegedly brandishing a knife outside a Vancouver elementary school on Friday – just as the young students were heading home for the day.

    • Toronto is expected to see an economic boost to the tune of nearly $300 million thanks to Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour, which will be making a stop in Canada’s largest city for a six-show run later this month.

    • A man believed to be in his 40s has been rushed to a trauma centre following a stabbing in downtown Toronto.

    • Calgarians will be observing Remembrance Day at a number of different ceremonies across the city, including at the Hangar Flight Museum.

    • Getting out to the mountains is even easier with a new bus route from a growing Germany-based service.

    • A home in the northeast Calgary community of Saddle Ridge was damaged in a fire on Sunday.

    • Crowds gathered in Ottawa and eastern Ontario on Monday to honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of Canada.

    • CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa.

    • After months of controversy surrounding a dog park in Ottawa's west end, a solution has been reached to divide the park in half.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats to a woman is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • With fewer interments and rising maintenance fees, the money for Canada's largest military cemetery will run out in three to four years.

    • Montreal Metro passengers can now flag a safety concern by texting a new phone number launched by the STM.

    • LIVE @ 10:45 A.M. MT

      LIVE @ 10:45 A.M. MT

      Monday is Remembrance Day, a time to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty.

    • WEATHER

      WEATHER

      This is shaping up to be one of the warmest Remembrance Days in the past decade, at least, for temperatures.

    • Maritimers will stop Monday to remember those who have served, and continue to serve, in Canada's armed forces for Remembrance Day.

    • A Cape Breton senior recalls her life in German-occupied France, and her mother’s death, during the Second World War.

    • Thousand of people gathered at the Menin Gate in the Ypres, Belgium for Monday’s Remembrance Day Ceremony.

    • Remembrance Day is today, and a number of ceremonies are taking place around the province to honour those who gave their lives to serve our country.

    • A pillar in Canada’s history was honoured in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, with thousands showing up to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the late Murray Sinclair.

    • Winnipeg police have identified two men involved in a stabbing incident earlier this week.

    • There will be two ceremonies taking place in Regina for Remembrance Day, hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion.

    • Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book ‘War Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.’

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.

    • During conciliation, more than 40 registered nurses reached a deal with their employer on a new three-year collective agreement the union said includes fair wages, hours of work and improved benefits.

    • Emergency crews responded to the scene on Road 68/Highway 2 east of Thamesford around 7 p.m.

    • A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    • A Barrie man is at the centre of an alleged $2.2 million stolen used car scheme.

    • Environment Canada issued a weather alert for Barrie, Collingwood and surrounding areas, alerting residents about the wicked winds that are expected to pick up to 80 kilometres per hour in the afternoon hours.

    • Barrie residents gathered on Monday to honour Canada’s veterans and pay tribute to those who served and sacrificed for the country.

    • Representatives of the Windsor Veterans Memorial Services Committee, military representatives, wreath bearers, government officials, and members of the public will attend the Cenotaph at City Hall Square for the outdoor service.

    • Windsor Paralympic champion, Danielle Campo, has been crowned the number one Inspirational Speaker of the Year for 2024 at the Inspirational Speaking Finals.

    • One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) received multiple complaints about an alleged drunk driver.

    • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

    • Six deer were struck by vehicles in six different locations in a six-hour period on B.C. highways on Saturday, according to the transportation ministry.

    • The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year’s host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.

    • There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.

    • It was just days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down when the Shaft Bottom Boys of Sudbury broke a world record for 'Deepest Concert Underground.' Now, more than four years later, a Timmins band is looking to take the title.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    • Mayors of the five largest cities in northern Ontario met in North Bay the last two days to discuss a range of critical issues impacting their cities and the region.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½