The residents of the northern people of Denare Beach, Sask., And the opposition NDP of Saskatchewan say that the provincial government failed in the village when a forest fire approached almost a month ago.
Denare Beach is located near the border of Saskatchewan-Manitoba and has approximately 700 residents throughout the year. More than 200 houses were destroyed by Wolf’s fire.
The townspeople say they did not receive help from the Sask. Government of the party, despite the strong winds, the dry climate and how fast the fire of the wolf moved. They also say that the province has not been useful during evacuation procedures or when residents returned to find their community devastated by the fire.
“I stay here without a home, and I don’t want anyone else to experience the pain and loss that my family and I have suffered,” said Denare Beach’s resident, Jennifer Hysert at a Press Conference from the NDP in the village.
“Wolf’s fire took almost everything my family has built in the last 25 years. What makes this loss even more painful is to learn that it could have been avoided,” said resident Jennifer Hystert.
The residents and their MLA request the government’s responsibility for “failing” their community and an immediate action to rebuild it for the future.
Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan declared provincial emergencies. But Jordan McPhail, NDP MLA for Cumberland, said the people of Denare Beach want to know why Prime Minister Scott Moe did not ask for federal help for his community, unlike the Manitoba government, which required military aid immediately.
That military aid was used only 22 kilometers northeast of Denare Beach for Flin Flon, man.
“I think Scott Moe and Tim McLeod [minister of corrections, policing and public safety] I need to respond to people about how this happens in Canada when you did not even involve the Canadian government, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Lentus operation, and the many things that the military could have brought to the first line of these fires. “
Operation Lentus is the CAF response for natural disasters in Canada. Its main objective is to help provincial and local authorities guarantee the safety of residents.
Denare Beach, Sask., It was one of the communities worse hit by Saskatchewan’s forest fires. As residents and community leaders now seek to rebuild, some criticize the provincial government for pain that they say it was avoidable.
McPhail said that Denare’s beach had no help when residents were displaced, and has no help now that they have returned home with debris.
“There is no clear direction of the provincial government on how to obtain assistance. There is no plan to obtain resources here so that this community can begin to rebuild,” he said.
Paul Rossington, Big Ice Services Operations Manager, a local construction company that provided equipment and labor to local firefighters, said it did it because the province did not approach the aid calls.
He said things may have been different if the Saskatchewan Public Security Agency (SPSA) made different decisions.
“There was no additional sprinklers for Denare Beach, or drops of fire retardants or terrestrial crews sprinkling fire retardant. None of that. Minimum additional fire trucks were deployed. Deny Beach was burn,” said Rossington.
The SPSA has not provided a public update on the fires since the beginning of this week, and the provincial government did not answer the CBC questions on Thursday.
The mayor of Denare Beach, Carl Lentowicz, said that cleaning remains a priority, but will be a challenge.
“Many things, nobody has managed in that capacity before. So there will be a learning curve,” Lentowicz said.
The reconstruction will come after cleaning, but residents said they are trapped waiting for the orientation of the provincial government.
“We cannot allow this to happen again,” said Hysert.
The speakers at the press conference thanked local firefighters, volunteers and land crew that worked as much as possible to protect the community, but said that seeing the village reduced to rubble has been devastating.
“I made some said that her husband was taken by knees. The men who are, you know, the strongest … taken by knees crying,” said Hysert.
Hysert said he is happy to be at home, despite the lack of communication in the province, and wants the pride of his community to be restored and recognized by the rest of Saskatchewan.
