Yellowknife evacuated one year ago. Are residents more prepared for the next emergency?

These days, Bobby Drygeese tries to fill up his vehicle as soon as it gets below half a tank of gas in case he has to leave Dettah in a hurry.

He also keeps his boat fuelled and ready if there are any problems with the road, and ensures he is stocked up with non-perishable goods.

It's a habit he picked up after the evacuation of Yellowknife and Dettah last year.

"I just want to make sure we're planning ahead for Plan B, Plan C … if it ever happens again."

A year ago Friday, the territorial government ordered everyone out of Yellowknife, Dettah, Ndilǫ and the Ingraham Trail as wildfires burned toward those areas. In the wake of that emergency, people across the city — from parents, to governments, to those who run non-profits — told CBC they have been trying to figure out how they can be better prepared in the future.

The AVENS seniors community has overhauled its emergency plan in the past year, going from a four-page plan to a 300-page document complete with checklists and manuals.

"I think you always have a belief that it's not going to affect us … but I think that was a rude awakening last year for many of us," said AVENS CEO Daryl Dolynny.

"It's not going to go away, and I don't think it's something that you can say will never happen again." 

The new emergency plan includes detailed guidance on everything from how to pack lunches for evacuation flights, to laundry, to medication management, Dolynny said. It's the culmination of months of work and reflection. 

In January, AVENS released a report with 40 internal and external recommendations. A wildfire taskforce comprised of AVENS leaders then went to work implementing them.

Dolynny said AVENS is now a safer place because of the "wake-up call" they got during the evacuation.

"I think we're better for it," Dolynny said. "I will say with conviction, I don't think I ever want to go through that again — but if we do, we're ready."

Better evacuation plans for the underhoused

Organizations that work with underhoused populations in Yellowknife are also looking to improve conditions for future evacuations.

"A lot of our people were just displaced — they didn't have the proper supports they needed," Yellowknife Women's Society executive director Renee Sanderson said.

"I know we put a lot of people in danger, and that's really unfortunate."John Baptiste Lafferty is one of those people. During last year's evacuation, he was one of many homeless residents who were flown to Calgary. He ended up on the streets there.

He said his experience there was so bad, he wonders if he would have been better off staying home during the evacuation and camping in the bush instead, despite the threat of fire.

"It was scary, because we don't know no people, we don't know what to do, we don't have no money — we were lost," he said.

The Yellowknife Women's Society has been working on an emergency plan — something they didn't have during last year's evacuation.

"We broke it down to each program," she explained. "What does each program look like if we were to shelter in place? What if we have to evacuate?"

As part of that planning, she said the Yellowknife Women's Society has sourced potential accommodations for all of their service users, and purchased more emergency supplies. They are currently working to expand the plan to cover other emergencies such as floods.

The Yellowknife Salvation Army has also overhauled its emergency plan, according to executive director Tony Brushett. 

He told CBC earlier this year they found potential accommodations for clients and staff outside Fort McMurray where the organization could offer the same support as in Yellowknife.

Recommendations already being implemented

The City of Yellowknife is also looking toward future emergencies. It commissioned accounting firm KPMG to conduct an after-action assessment with recommendations for future emergencies. That report was released in July.

Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty told CBC the city has already started implementing many of the report's recommendations, like updating its emergency, evacuation and wildfire protection plans. Staff have also gotten extra training in emergency management, she said. 

The N.W.T. government is also conducting its own review of the 2023 wildfire season. That review will be led by the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs.

And there are other ways Yellowknifers might be better prepared for an evacuation.

Yellowknife artist Brian Macdonald said he feels the evacuation has changed how Yellowknifers relate to each other — for the better.

"One thing I've found is people are checking on each other a little bit more… making sure everyone is okay. A lot more people are volunteering in the community. It kind of is reverting back to when I was younger here."