Fire evacuees allowed limited access to Quebec Cree communities

Weather, smoke and fire conditions have improved enough in northern Quebec for restricted access to the Billy Diamond Highway and to several Cree communities, officials say. 

The highway, which is a main road link to northern Quebec, was opened initially from Tuesday evening to 6 p.m. Wednesday, for residents returning home, essential services and people traveling for humanitarian reasons.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the Cree Nation Government and the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government announced the Billy Diamond Highway and community access roads to Waskaganish, Eastmain, Wemindji and Chisasibi would stay open until Friday, to allow those still stranded in the south to get home and for badly needed deliveries of food, fuel and supplies to get to Cree communities.

Officials said they would monitor conditions daily and close access, if needed.

 "As conditions can change quickly, people are asked to exercise extreme caution when traveling," said a release from the Cree Nation Government and the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government. 

"Conditions remain precarious and many roads remain closed."

The main road link to northern Quebec has been closed for a week and a half by smoke and fires, as have other highways and access roads to several Cree communities. 

Residents from many of those communities have been stranded in the south and food supplies have been running low all over the territory. The opening of the highway will also allow fuel supplies in several Cree communities to be restocked.

"All the fresh food is all empty," said Alice Snowboy, the manager of the Chisasibi Co-op when reached on Monday afternoon. 

"Mostly we have dry goods, we are all out of bread and eggs," she said.

First convoy of Waskaganish residents 

Waskaganish resident Marion Blackned was stranded in Matagami for more than a week and a half, long enough for several people to start calling her the 'Mayor of Matagami'. 

She led a convoy of people home on Tuesday night and said conditions along the way on the Billy Diamond Highway were okay and there was a light rain falling.

"I felt happy and excited to go home after all those 14 days away. It feels good to be back home," said Blackned. 

Not a green light to return: officials

Cree officials also stressed that this limited access to the Billy Diamond Highway doesn't mean that everyone has a green light to return. 

Evacuation orders for residents of several Cree communities remain in effect and only people not under evacuation orders should be traveling home, the release said.

"Air conditions in Eeyou Istchee remain unstable and until our public health authorities and local leadership determine it is appropriate evacuees cannot return to their communities," said the release. Eeyou Istchee is the traditional name for the Cree territory in Quebec. 

Residents from the Cree communities of Waskaganish, Nemaska, Chisasibi, Wemindji and Eastmain are still under various stages of evacuation orders for their most vulnerable residents, according to officials.

Tuesday evening, the community of Eastmain announced it would allow some residents under Phase III evacuation orders and with their own vehicles to return home on Wednesday. Buses are being organized Thursday and Friday to bring Phase 2 evacuees home.  

People are reminded that they could be asked to show identification when traveling on the Billy Diamond Highway.