Evacuees helping evacuees: N.W.T. residents escaping wildfire step up to help each other

Despite being displaced from their own homes because of raging wildfires, N.W.T. evacuees are still trying to help each other. 

"It's amazing how people can react in a crisis," said Gianna Debogorski, a Yellowknife resident.

Debogorski said she felt cared for when another evacuee saw her sleeping on the ground and offered her a free tent. 

An out-of-control wildfire located about 15 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife caused the city's 20,000 residents to relocate.

Other N.W.T. communities including Fort Smith, Enterprise, Hay River, Kátł'odeeche First Nation, and Kakisa also remain under evacuation orders. Nearly two-thirds of N.W.T. residents have been displaced for more than a week due to wildfires and it's unclear when they will be able to return home. 

Debogorski drove in a cramped truck from Yellowknife to High Level, Alta., and was ready to crash into a deep sleep when she arrived at an evacuation campground close to the town. 

There wasn't enough space in her truck, so she took a nap outside on the ground in a sleeping bag.

"When I woke up my friend was like, 'Oh I took a picture of you, you look like a dead person sleeping on the ground!'" said Debogorski. 

When another evacuee saw what was happening, she gave Debogorski one of the two extra tents she had for evacuees in need of help. 

"It's just really nice to know that there's other folks who are willing to help," said Debogorski. 

Someone to listen

An N.W.T. psychologist is another evacuee who is offering free counselling phone calls for evacuees. 

"The human in me felt as if other people might want to know that there is someone out there that will listen to what they're going through," said Jon Hunt, who runs a private practice in Hay River. 

Now setup in Edmonton, he said the number of calls varies, but has been between five and 10 per day. 

Hunt also offered services to residents from Hay River and Kátł'odeeche First Nation when the two communities had to evacuate earlier this year due to another wildfire. 

Some common themes he's noticed in people calling is panic, overwhelm and disbelief. 

"So the stress and the anxiety, the feeling of living on the edge, of being unsure of what's going to happen, getting a lot of that," he said. 

He said he listens to their stories and if they are feeling overwhelmed he'll use breathing, and tapping exercises to help ground them. 

He'll also direct callers to resources like mental health hotlines, or encourage them to register at an evacuee centre and find out what help is available. 

Hunt said he's heard evacuees feeling hopeful, and showing gratitude as well. However they feel, he tries to bring callers to accept their situation. 

"There just seems to be a need for people to know that there was a place to turn to and I was in that position to offer that," he said

'Something to look forward to'

Andrew Shedden, a music teacher from Fort Smith, N.W.T., is offering free music lessons to youth evacuees in Grand Prairie, Alberta.

"I worry about their mental health, being stuck in the hotel and not having a lot to do," he said. 

He said on social media that he wanted to offer free music lessons; those posts garnered hundreds of likes. 

The Grand Prairie Friendship Centre reached out and offered a space for lessons. It also bought five guitars for students to use. 

The lessons are intended for youth, but Shedden said he's open to teaching adults as well. 

While music has helped him during the evacuation, he's encouraging other displaced residents to find ways to care for themselves. 

"You know playing the guitar, playing any sort of instrument, that's a way to be mindful, that's a way to be creative, that's a way to sort of connect to other people…. there's lots of different things about music that make make it great for mental health," he said. 

Shedden is teaching guitar, bass and vocal lessons. Depending on the needs of the youth, he said he's open to teaching other instruments as well. 

The classes started on Wednesday and will run everyday at the centre from Monday to Saturday for one hour starting at 1 p.m. 

"I think doing doing stuff like learning how to play guitar, I'm hoping it's going to be something that can give kids some self-confidence, give them something to look forward to every day," he said.