As wildfire continues to push the boundaries of their homes and threaten the safety of their residents, two northern Sask. communities are left feeling like they’re on their own.
“The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) has gone silent, and we haven’t been able to get an up-to-date status on the fire pushing towards Patuanak for more than 24 hours now,” Emergency Management Coordinator for Patuanak and La Plonge, Candyce Paul said on Saturday.
“We should have a direct line; we are the ones on the ground dealing with the situation.”
Neither the provincial nor federal governments have prepared enough since Saskatchewan wildfires forced thousands of people from their northern homes back in 2015, said Paul.
The lack of support in previous years has pushed the communities to prepare themselves in advance for what they knew was coming with this season’s hot and dry summer conditions.
“We’ve taken it on in English River pretty much ourselves, with very limited funding,” said Paul. “We knew since 2015 that we’ve got to look after ourselves, but the thing is, we don’t have the equipment [and] we don’t have the resources.”
According to Paul, having access to emergency items like their own propane tanks and generators is one of the biggest needs for La Plonge.
After receiving advanced warning from the SPSA that wildfire was coming in close to the area, Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) was able to help coordinate evacuation efforts to send community members to North Battleford with the support of the Emergency Management Team.
MLTC has taken on a huge role in supporting the people of Patuanak and La Plonge, said Paul.
“It’s a big operation trying to move a whole community of people, it’s a lot of responsibilities,” said Paul. “We have a team of our health staff and our teaching staff and other members of the administration, many of them are down in North Battleford looking after the needs of the people.”
Paul said fully funded emergency management teams should be set up in every northern and remote community, so residents aren’t left scrambling to deal with emergency situations by themselves.
“Hopefully we can advocate for that in the future; we have to,” said Paul. “This is not the first disaster, and this will not be the last.”
The worst is yet to come, she added.
“This is an era of climate chaos, and this is the tip of the iceberg,” said Paul. “Later this summer, we may be dealing with fire and heat, and that’s going to be really hard on our people.”
Dealing with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic gave the Emergency Management Team an opportunity to start addressing what was needed in the communities in preparation for their next emergency.
The team’s main takeaway was that communication is essential.
“For us to keep our people informed, that helps keep them calm. It gives them a sense of how long they’re going to be in this situation, so they can wrap their heads around it. It relieves a lot of stress,” said Paul. “The uncertainty is really bothersome for some people.”
Paul is unsure when the people of Patuanak and La Plonge will be able to make their way home but asked that everyone keeps praying for rain.
As 24 wildfires continue to burn across northern Saskatchewan, the Northern Hamlet of Patuanak and the adjoining Patuanak, English River First Nation, located more than 300 kilometres north of Prince Albert, are doing their best to support their community members with limited resources available to them.
Since evacuations were ordered last week, a small army of around 66 volunteers that comprise the Patuanak Emergency Management Team have been working tirelessly to take care of the community members that stayed behind and keep everything running smoothly.
Michael Wolverine with the Emergency Management Team contributes Patuanak’s organization in a time of crisis to their previous experience with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve had a bit of practice with the whole pandemic thing, keeping the team consistent and all trained up with the support of our staff,” said Wolverine. “It’s a little bit different because the pandemic was kind of scary for a lot of people. It was new, it was different. Nobody knew what was going to happen.”
Wildfires are nothing new for the community of Patuanak, giving their Emergency Management Team a slight advantage in preparing for what they knew was on the horizon.
“Forest fires, we’ve been dealing with that for many, many years. It’s kind of embedded in our DNA as survivors of the land up here; we’ve learned over the years,” said Wolverine. “It’s a learning process. It’s not perfect by any means but that’s where we take what we know, and we improve. It’s a learning curve every single day.”
While they’ve received very limited support from the province since wildfires began encroaching on the community and forced many to evacuate their homes, Patuanak’s industry partners like Cameco and Des Nedhe Group have done all they can to provide the team with much-needed resources.
“They’ve been really helping us through this,” said Wolverine. “They’re providing everything possible. Anything that we need, they’ll send to us. We’ve made requests for things like asset protection, hoses, all that kind of stuff.”
Thanks to the Emergency Management Team’s proactive thinking, Patuanak was able to purchase more than 80 personal air purifiers in the nick of time for the homes of priority one and two residents, which include elders and those with chronic conditions like asthma.
Meadow Lake Tribal Council also provided the community with large air scrubbers through their emergency response plan, with one set up in the arena that has been designated as a clean air and volunteer drop-in center.
According to staff from the Beauval grocery store, Patuanak purchased close to $5,000 worth of groceries to feed their volunteers three square meals a day.
“I’m very fortunate to have all of these guys here, that are dedicated and willing to risk their health and their lives to protect their community,” said Wolverine. “I’m giving these guys absolute kudos because these are the ones who are sitting in the front lines and got everybody out, tracked everybody so that we know exactly who is where and what they’re doing. I couldn’t have done it without [them].”
Going forward, Wolverine said Patuanak will be reviewing their emergency procedures to ensure that all the resources they require will be readily available to them when needed.
“This whole scrambling thing, it’s not beneficial to anybody,” said Wolverine. “For our partners who are absolutely stressed out trying to find things for us and us not knowing when we will be receiving them.”
As of Saturday afternoon, one Patuanak community member had lost their cabin to wildfire.
Mayor of the Hamlet of Patuanak, Hazel Maurice, said the community has been quiet since a majority of their community members were evacuated to other parts of the province.
“We’ll be notified when the smoke clears and the fire is extinguished completely, but we need rain before anybody comes back,” said Maurice. “It’s been lonely, even the dogs are lonely.”
Evacuations in Patuanak began last week once the Shaw fire began heading towards the main road. With only one way in or out, community members will be forced to flee the flames by boat if the fire blocks their exit.
“It was a sudden thing, nobody was prepared for it,” she added.
While cool weather in the north over the last few days has calmed the fire down a bit, Patuanak will be feeling the impact on their ability to harvest food going into the future.
“The animals are in distress,” said Maurice. “The ducks, the way they sound… A couple days ago, the eagles were overhead, and they could barely even fly. Even the fish, they die after a fire like this.”
According to a member of the fire crew in Patuanak as of 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, crews have begun rebuilding the fire guard and dug trenches around the wildfire perimeter with heavy equipment, helping to minimize the spread of the blaze.
As of 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning, there were 23 active wildfires burning across the province, said the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) while providing an update on Saskatchewan’s wildfire situation.
Twelve wildfires are undergoing assessment, three fires are contained, three are classified as protecting property, and five are not contained.
According to SPSA President and Fire Commissioner Marlo Pritchard, Saskatchewan has seen 183 wildfires to date, which is 77 more than the five-year average.
“Generally, these fires are extremely aggressive because of the spring conditions and because of the large volume of smoke they have been generating, that has greatly curtailed some of our activity,” said Vice President of Operations, Steve Roberts. “Both to get into these fires and get crews on the ground, but also to assess where we might have risks and threats by these fires.”
Due to the shortage of spring rain and lack of green up, the SPSA is seeing more area burnt than in previous wildfire seasons.
“We often have a number of fires, but rarely do they get as large as this,” said Roberts.
Pritchard noted that various things must be evaluated before the SPSA can begin taking action on a wildfire. This includes the size, intensity, and location of the fire, the threat it may pose, the SPSA’s ability to successfully protect people, property and communities, the resources required to contain the fire, the cost to manage the fire compared to risk, how safe it is to respond, and how or if the response minimizes economic impact.
“The magnitude of a response does not necessarily equate to a wildfire’s distance from a community,” added Pritchard. Pritchard emphasized that the SPSA has no “let it burn” policy.
“The SPSA assesses every wildfire and makes a decision about the best way to manage each one,” said Pritchard. Human life is the first and foremost priority for the SPSA, as well as communities, major public infrastructure, commercial, forest, and other values.
“Healthy, vibrant forests are naturally renewed by fire, so it makes ecological sense to allow some non-threatening fires to occur unhindered,” he noted.
The SPSA has provided air scrubbers to communities affected by wildfires, allowing them to safely shelter in place as special air quality statements remain in effect for areas of north-central Saskatchewan.
“Smoke is playing a significant role at this time of year on our suppression efforts,” said Roberts.
The agency recommended avoiding the area of the Smith fire, located north of Churchill River, due to the smoke conditions.
As of 1 p.m. on May 23, Canada Post reinstated normal delivery and postal services in the communities of Beauval, Buffalo Narrows, Clearwater, Ile-a-la-Crosse, Island Lake, and Turnor Lake.
Red delivery service alerts continue in the communities of Patuanak and Dillon.
Travel advisories remain in place for Montreal River and around the area of Besnard Lake, said the SPSA.
Wildfires have caused the closure of two highways in the province. Signage and barricades staffed by the Ministry of Highways are set up on Highway 910 from the junction of Highway 165 to Besnard Lake and Highway 911 from Highway 106 to Deschambault Lake.
The MacKay Lake and Wadin Bay campgrounds are also currently closed due to the Sharp fire.
Some precipitation is expected for the central part of the province in the coming days, but Roberts said the rain will miss most of Saskatchewan’s northern forest area.
“Overall though, temperatures will drop,” said Roberts. “Where we receive precipitation and lower temperatures and higher humidities, we will be able to make much more significant headway on some of these fires.”
Once the SPSA is able to secure the fires and slow their growth, smoke conditions will begin to lift and benefit evacuees.
The SPSA is reminding residents to take extreme caution when on or near dry grass, operating ATVs, using tools, and disposing of smoking materials.
“We want to urge everyone across the province to be diligent in preventing fires and protecting their communities by taking those little actions that matter,” said Pritchard.
Residents with questions or those who have been evacuated can reach out to the SPSA’s toll-free information line at 1-855-559-5502. Information can also be found online at the SPSA website at saskpublicsafety.ca.
Twenty-nine active wildfires are still burning across the province and with Friday marking the beginning of May long weekend, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) is reminding residents to remain diligent while outdoors.
“Take extreme caution, especially when on or near dry grass, or when operating all-terrain vehicles, using tools, or disposing of smoking materials,” said SPSA President and Fire Commissioner Marlo Pritchard.
While giving a brief update on the wildfire situation in Saskatchewan on Friday, Pritchard encouraged checking the Highway Hotline regularly before leaving on your weekend destination.
“Highways may be closed or impacted due to wildfire or smoke,” said Pritchard. “Please avoid travel to the impacted areas in the north at this time.”
As of 9 a.m. on Friday morning, Highway 165 from Junction 910 to Junction 914 was currently the only highway closed in the province due to wildfire.
While most highway closures have reopened since earlier in the week, “that could change depending on wildfire and smoke behavior”. Pritchard warns that Highway 10 will be closed off for fire operations soon, so anyone in or near the Besnard Lake campground is asked to leave the area immediately.
Travel advisories also remain in place for the area of Montreal River and Besnard Lake.
To compliment the SPSA’s wildfire suppression efforts, two CL-415 amphibious tankers provided by the Government of Quebec are enroute to Saskatchewan and will be integrated into the aerial fleet over the weekend.
A total of four pilots and two engineers will accompany the aircrafts while in the province for the next two weeks. The support is being provided through an already established mutual aid resource compact between the provinces, said Pritchard.
“We urge everyone across the province to be diligent in preventing fires and protecting their communities,” said Pritchard. “Every small action matters.”
The SPSA launched a toll-free information line earlier in the week for those who have evacuated their communities or for questions around the provincial fire ban. Information can be found by calling 1-855-559-5502.
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) are calling for accountability and transparency from the Prince Albert Police Service, following the release of the Saskatchewan Public Complaint Commission’s (PCC) report into the death of 13-month-old Tanner Brass which found two Prince Albert police officers neglectful of their duty.
“The Prince Albert Police Service had a duty to protect Kyla and her child, Tanner, [and] they failed Kyla, an Indigenous woman, and her child, miserably,” said Eleanor Sunchild, Kyla Frenchman’s lawyer.
The report states that though both officers were aware of the concerns raised by Kyla in her 911 call, neither went inside the home in which Tanner was killed to ensure his safety.
“[They] were incorrect in their belief that they required a warrant or permission… to enter the residence. Under these circumstances, they did not,” reads the PCC’s report.
“There should never be officers that go to calls, including domestic disturbance calls involving children, who do not know the law or authority that they hold when attending these type of calls,” said Sunchild.
While the report noted that the two responding officers did not reach out to a superior for additional assistance, FSIN said they feel that senior management also had a role to play.
“It’s not just the frontline officers that are being pointed the blame to, it was the commanding officer on duty that night who could have made the call to intervene,” said FSIN Vice Chief David Pratt. “Rather than listen to Kyla and support her story, they immediately stereotyped her as being another drunken Indian.”
Prince Albert Police Chief Jon Bergen announced his retirement on Thursday, hours after the PCC’s report was released to the public. Until a permanent replacement can be found, an interim Police Chief will be seconded from the Saskatoon Police Service effective immediately.
“We look forward to working with the new chief to enhance relationships between the First Nation community and Prince Albert Police Service,” said FSIN Vice Chief Dutch Lerat.
FSIN is calling for the immediate dismissal of the responding officers, as well as criminal charges laid against them for criminal negligence causing death.
They’re also asking for a full-scale investigation into the Prince Albert Police Service and an inquest into the death of Tanner Brass.
“Police investigating police will always fail,” said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron. “You must have First Nation experts, First Nation individuals who are trained, educated in the law system to be part of these investigations.”
The PCC report noted inconsistencies between what was alleged by Kyla and what the PCC found, but Lerat said they believe essential details of what happened on Feb. 10, 2022, were not considered.
“When Kyla interacted with the police, she was in shock and she was in trauma,” said Lerat. “It is completely understandable that she was not able to communicate clearly.”
“We don’t lie when it comes to tragedies such as this,” said Cameron. “We feel it, we live it, we experience it, we breathe it.”
Sunchild added that Kyla Frenchman will be pursuing legal action against the Prince Albert Police Service in the near future.
The Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Christine Tell broke her silence on Friday afternoon by thanking the Public Complaints Commission for its work and offering sympathy to the family of Tanner Brass.
“This situation was tragic and the details now released highlight the need for immediate change within the Prince Albert Police Service,” said Tell. “I am confident that the new interim Chief of Police will begin the process of change that is necessary.”
Tell added that she looks forward to the continued support of the Prince Albert Board of Police Commissioners as they prepare for the release of the Prince Albert Police Service Special Inquiry final report in the coming weeks.
The Public Complaints Commission receives, investigates, and reviews complaints against municipal police. The PCC is a five-person, non-police body appointed by the government.
Police were called to the 200 Block of 23rd Street West at 5:44 a.m. on Feb. 10, 2022 following complaints of a family dispute. Officers transported one person to police cells, but were called back to the residence just before 11 a.m. following reports of a homicide involving a child. Police discovered a deceased 13-month-old boy, later identified as Tanner Brass, on arrival.
Kaij Brass, Tanner’s father, was arrested at the scene and charged with second degree murder.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) provided a brief update on the wildfires burning across northern Saskatchewan that are forcing hundreds of people from their homes to evacuation sites in search of safety.
Those being supported with food, clothing, shelter, and “other services as necessary” by the Agency include 760 people evacuated to Lloydminster, 220 people evacuated to North Battleford and 54 people evacuated to Regina, said SPSA President Marlo Pritchard.
When asked when evacuees can expect to return home during a media briefing on Thursday, SPSA’s Director of Land Operations Bryan Chartrand said the size of the fires and the dry conditions faced in the province play a big role in the timeline.
“It’s going to take some time for us to get them contained, so I don’t have a magic number but it won’t be any time in the near future,” said Chartrand. “We are looking at least a week plus from now, unless we get a large rain event that is not forecasted right now.”
The wildfires of biggest concern for the SPSA are the Vermette fire southwest of Dillon, which is an estimated 45,000 hectares, the Shaw fire near Buffalo Narrows, which is more than 84,800 hectares in size, and the Smith Fire north of Pinehouse, measuring out to around 103,624 hectares.
The fires are being resourced by Type 1 and Type 2 firefighters, heavy equipment, helicopters and air tanker support, said Pritchard. While no structural damages have yet been reported, Chartrand said the SPSA is continuing to assess any loss value around the fires.
“Due to smoke, visibility has been very challenging for us to get out and to do these assessments,” said Chartrand. “With the wind changing, that will open up portions of the fires, so we will be doing those assessments and documenting and providing that information when available.”
There have been 168 wildfires in Saskatchewan to date, which is about double the 87 fires the SPSA has seen as a five-year average, said Pritchard.
The SPSA is encouraging everyone to remain diligent to prevent fires in the province and protect their communities, including not driving or parking on dry grass, avoiding ATV use in dry areas, and taking caution when disposing of smoking material.
Prince Albert Police Chief Jon Bergen held a media conference Thursday afternoon where he announced that he would be retiring from the Prince Albert police after 25 years of service, effective May 31.
Bergen made the announcement after the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) released a report on the Prince Albert police response to the call for service prior to 13-month-old Tanner Brass’ death on Feb. 10, 2022. The two Prince Albert police members who responded to the initial call for service on Feb. 10, 2022, were suspended from active duty, which continues to stand in effect.
“It is very public knowledge that my decisions as Chief in this matter have become the subject of escalating criticism and personal attack from a specific core of current and past members of the Prince Albert Police Service,” said Bergen.
“If I were to accept the responsibilities on me as Chief of Police under the Investigation Report released today – to discipline members, or to further investigate supervising members – it could be misrepresented as biased and influenced by the manner in which my family has been treated.”
Bergen said his decision to request an independent investigation and remove the two officers involved from active service resulted in relentless, vocal criticisms of his leadership.
He and his family have been the victims of numerous personal attacks over the past three years, like receiving a Christmas card filled with hateful messages, having damaging statements put up on public mailboxes, and his daughter being followed around the city for several kilometers by police members while driving her mother’s car, according to Bergen.
These are just a few examples of the constant harassment that has become “completely exhausting,” he said.
The Prince Albert Board of Police Commissioners has agreed that an interim Chief of Police seconded from an external police agency be appointed to the position immediately.
“I am authorized by the Board at this time to report to the community that we have been able to arrange in cooperation with the Saskatoon Police Service the secondment of an interim Chief of Police. We feel fortunate to have arranged this appointment on an interim basis to assume the duties as Prince Albert’s Chief of Police, until such time as the Board can recruit and hire my replacement.”
Deputy Chief Prince said she was not interested in taking over the role in order to protect the discipline process.
“An external interim Chief is free from personal attacks that Chief Bergen and myself have experienced, and an interim Chief’s decision cannot be misrepresented as biased.”
More than a year after 13-month-old Tanner Brass was killed and the Prince Albert Police Service’s response to the call for service prior to the child’s death was called into question; the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) have released a public report of its findings into the police investigation on the day of Feb. 10, 2022.
According to Public Complaints Commission Chair Michelle Ouellette, the Commission found neglect of duty by officers with the Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) in its investigation.
“The Public Complaints Commission extends its condolences to Tanner Brass’s family for the loss of their child,” said Ouellette. “We appreciate the cooperation of the family of Tanner Brass and the Prince Albert Police Service throughout our investigation into this tragic death.”
The day after Tanner was killed inside his Prince Albert home, PAPS requested that an independent investigation be opened by the PCC into the circumstances of the baby’s death, to determine whether it was the result of a possible incident of misconduct by the two police officers that responded during the initial call for service.
“The circumstances on the morning of February 10, 2022, amount to a tragic and potentially avoidable incident,” said the PCC.
As part of the investigation, the PCC collected evidence from subject officers, witness officers, in-car recordings, audio recording of the 911 call, PAPS information management system records, dispatch records, cell phone records, CCTV recordings, Tanner’s autopsy reports, and internal PAPS policy documents, which was used to create a timeline of events leading up to Tanner Brass’s tragic death.
The report makes note of several contradictions between what was alleged in the media and what was found during the PCC’s investigation, including that Tanner’s mother Kyla Frenchman, identified as AP2, did not beg or cry for officers to help her son while in police holding cells.
“It has been stated that, while lodged at the detention center, AP2 tried repeatedly to tell PAPS police officers that [Tanner] was in danger, but that they ignored her or advised it was not their job to help her. A review of the detention center and cellblock audio and video does not substantiate this version of events.”
According to the report, a PCC investigator also made multiple attempts to contact a witness who claimed that while detained in the cellblock area, he could hear a woman yelling for the police to help her get her baby.
“The witness did not make himself available for an interview,” said the report. “A review of the audio and video recordings from the detention and cellblock areas does not support the witness’s claim.”
The PCC’s report concluded that at all relevant times, Tanner Brass was vulnerable and in danger while inside the residence with his father, Kaij Brass, who has been charged with second degree murder. Tanner’s status remained unknown until PAPS received a call about the deceased child hours later.
Neither officer entered the residence to ensure Tanner’s safety, despite being informed of the concern’s raised by his mother in her 911 call, and failed to follow the PAPS intimate partner violence policy, which requires them to “ensure the immediate safety of the complainant and any children who may be present”.
The report notes that no calls were made to supervisors requesting additional assistance, nor did the officers take any information concerning Kaij Brass’s level of intoxication and whether he was safe to be alone with Tanner.
“The totality of the circumstances demonstrates a series of compounded failures by SO1 and SO2 when they had a legal duty to investigate the 911 call by AP2,” said the report. “This was neglect of duty by both SO1 and SO2, contrary to section 36(c) of The Municipal Police Discipline Regulations, 1991, in failing to conduct a proper investigation of a domestic violence situation despite the presence of a vulnerable and unprotected infant.”
The CPP said the investigation was forwarded to the Public Prosecution for review, but no criminal charges against the subject officers were recommended by the Crown, as the pathologist was unable to determine Tanner’s time of death during autopsy.
The two Prince Albert police members who responded to the initial call for service on Feb. 10, 2022, were suspended from active duty, which continues to stand in effect, according to PAPS Chief Jon Bergen.
In light of the CPP’s release of its investigative report, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) said it’s renewing calls for a Coroner’s Inquest, immediate intervention from the Ministry of Corrections and Public Safety, and greater investigation and accountability for all involved in the death of Baby Tanner and the treatment of Kyla Frenchman by PAPS on the morning on Feb. 10, 2022.
“The PCC’s report confirms what we already knew,” says FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron. “The PAPS has failed to serve our First Nations people, especially our most vulnerable. What we need now is accountability and action to address the profound racism and discrimination First Nations people experience daily at the hands of police in Saskatchewan.
“We demand that the officers be held criminally accountable for their failure to prevent the death of Baby Tanner, systemic racism and neglect must be addressed from the top down. All of those who were involved in Kyla and her family’s loss of young Baby Tanner should be fully investigated and held accountable.”
Police Chief Bergen announces retirement; to be replaced by interim chief seconded from Saskatoon Police Service
Bergen held a media conference Thursday afternoon in the wake of the report’s release, where he announced that he would be retiring from the Prince Albert police after 25 years of service, effective May 31.
“It is very public knowledge that my decisions as Chief in this matter have become the subject of escalating criticism and personal attack from a specific core of current and past members of the Prince Albert Police Service,” said Bergen.
“If I were to accept the responsibilities on me as Chief of Police under the Investigation Report released today – to discipline members, or to further investigate supervising members – it could be misrepresented as biased and influenced by the manner in which my family has been treated.”
Chief Jon Bergen announced his retirement from the Prince Albert Police Service on Thursday, May 18, 2023, following the release of the CPP’s investigative report on the death of Tanner Brass. — Bailey Sutherland/Local Journalism Initiative Reporter/Daily Herald
Bergen said his decision to request an independent investigation and remove the two officers involved from active service resulted in relentless, vocal criticisms of his leadership.
He and his family have been the victims of numerous personal attacks over the past three years, like receiving a Christmas card filled with hateful messages, having damaging statements put up on public mailboxes, and his daughter being followed around the city for several kilometers by police members while driving her mother’s car, according to Bergen.
These are just a few examples of the constant harassment that has become “completely exhausting”, he said.
The Prince Albert Board of Police Commissioners has agreed that an interim Chief of Police seconded from an external police agency be appointed to the position immediately.
“I am authorized by the Board at this time to report to the community that we have been able to arrange in cooperation with the Saskatoon Police Service the secondment of an interim Chief of Police. We feel fortunate to have arranged this appointment on an interim basis to assume the duties as Prince Albert’s Chief of Police, until such time as the Board can recruit and hire my replacement.”
Deputy Chief Prince said she was not interested in taking over the role in order to protect the discipline process.
“An external interim Chief is free from personal attacks that Chief Bergen and myself have experienced, and an interim Chief’s decision cannot be misrepresented as biased.”
As wildfires continue to force hundreds from their home communities in search of safety, provincial command has been activated through Saskatchewan Public Safety’s Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) to streamline the fire response across northern Saskatchewan.
Correction, Policing, and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell said the activation of the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre was established to provide a central point to coordinate the operational response of provincial ministries, agencies and Crown corporations.
There are currently 24 active wildfires burning in the province, a majority of which are believed to be human-caused, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA).
As of 4 p.m. on May 17, ten wildfires were undergoing assessment, eight were contained, five were not contained and one was classified as protecting property.
The biggest cause for concern is the 77,000-hectare Shaw fire in the northwest area of the province, which has grown by an estimated 25,000 hectares since the beginning of the week.
During a media conference on Wednesday afternoon, SPSA land operations executive director Brian Chartrand said with current conditions, the Shaw fire will continue to grow until the province sees some reprieve with rain.
Firefighting ground crews and heavy equipment are battling the blaze to protect communities, infrastructure and resources, but heavy smoke has “hampered operations” for helicopters and air tankers, said Chartrand.
High-risk individuals are being forced to evacuate from Buffalo Narrows and Ile-a-la-Crosse due to the wildfire smoke, which has also prompted Environment Canada to issue special air quality statements for most of Saskatchewan.
The Shaw fire has forced the closure of Highways 155 and 925, but the SPSA is ensuring affected northern communities continue to have access to food and fuel by escorting delivery trucks through the closed roads.
There is currently no timeline available for when evacuees are expected to be able to return to their homes, said Chartrand.
Mail service has been suspended in some locations due to the wildfires and evacuations. Canada Post issued red delivery alerts Wednesday for the communities of Beauval, Clearwater, Ile-a-la-Crosse, Island Lake and Turnor River.
All residents not under a fire ban are encouraged to take extra precautions not to start fires, including not parking on dry grass, limiting ATV use and being responsible with open fire.
On Monday, a fire ban was issued for Crown lands and provincial parks north of Highway 16 due to hot, dry conditions and an extreme fire risk.
According to the SPSA, there have been 169 wildfires in Saskatchewan so far in 2023, double the amount normally seen by this time of year.
The Prince Albert Airport will be getting a new automated gate for ambulances along the perimeter security fence to make medevac transfer safer and more time efficient for paramedics while maintaining airport security.
The City of Prince Albert has entered into a Community Airports Partnership (CAP) Agreement with the Ministry of Highways, which states the province will provide up to 50 per cent of the funding to a maximum of $10,000, with the City to cover the rest.
While the actual amount will not be known until its completion, a report by Airport Manager Corey Nygaard states the estimated project costs for the automated opener gate at the air to ground ambulance medevac transfer location is $25,800.
A CAP application for the gate’s installation was previously submitted in 2021 and was not approved for funding in 2022, but was carried over for potential approval in 2023.
The original cost estimates were provided by a local fencing contractor in 2021, which projected the cost to be around $17,600.
To address inflation over the last several years, new cost estimates were requested in 2023. Based on these new estimates, Nygaard anticipates that the project cost will exceed the original approved budget by $6,800.
“As such, administration is proposing to take advantage of the CAP funding opportunity by increasing the project budget to $27,500,” said the report.
He proposed that $10,000 be funded from the CAP, $15,000 be funded from the Airport Improvement Fund, and $2,500 be funded from the Airport Operations fence repair and maintenance operating budget, which was approved by City Council at Monday’s meeting.
During the meeting, Mayor Greg Dionne said they’re moving ahead of schedule on the project after being notified by the Ministry of Health that the need for services will increase at the airport once the Victoria Hospital expansion is finished.
“I’m glad we’re being proactive, and we’ll be ready for that opening,” he said.
The project includes removal of the existing manual swing gate, installation of a sliding 30 foot long and six-foot-tall chain-link style gate, and installation of an automated gate opener with keypad entry/exit pedestals and related power supply wiring.
Currently, the most direct and safe route for ground ambulances to access the medevac aircraft is via Gate 2, which is manually operated and requires ambulance staff to work a padlock and swing open two gate panels.
On average, there are two medevac transfers a day at the Prince Albert Airport, according to the report.
