Residents of Denare Beach who lost homes and businesses in this summer’s wildfires stood alongside Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck on Monday, urging Premier Scott Moe to visit the community and commit to leading recovery efforts.
At a press conference in the village, Beck said more than 200 homes were destroyed by the Wolf Fire and accused the government of failing to show leadership.
“The first step, the most basic step for any leader, is to show up, to listen to the people you are supposed to serve, to hear their concerns and work with them to find solutions,” Beck said.”This work can’t happen without the support of the provincial government, and that can’t happen until the Premier shows accountability and shows up for the people of this province.”
Cumberland MLA Jordan McPhail said the government left the community to fend for itself.
“They’ve done everything they can to fight the fires and help their neighbours rebuild, and they shouldn’t have had to do it on their own,” he said, calling for Moe to hold a town hall to give residents “closure and accountability.”
Several residents delivered emotional appeals to the Premier. Jennifer Hysert said Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency personnel failed to back up local firefighters and that residents received little support during evacuation.
“We were told we slipped through the cracks, and they dropped the ball,” she said.
Dustin Trumbley told Moe to “come here and face us one on one,” while Rhonda Werbicki, who lost her home of 26 years, accused the province of letting the fire burn uncontrolled for weeks.
“Maybe we wouldn’t be homeless now,” she said.
Others raised concerns about delayed insurance payouts, lack of housing, and what they described as political favouritism in firefighting priorities.
Alongside those testimonies, the NDP pressed for policy measures including a PST cut on construction labour, direct financial aid, grant programs for seasonal businesses, tax deferrals, and faster SGI claims.
In response to questions from the Daily Herald, the province defended its wildfire response and recovery efforts.
“Premier Moe has visited various communities in the north and spoken with local leadership throughout this wildfire season,” said Emma Long, media relations officer with Executive Council. “Our government understands the challenges of this year’s wildfire season and the devastating impact it has had on our northern Saskatchewan communities. Our government is committed to supporting our northern communities in the recovery process.”
The government pointed to $20 million committed in July for recovery, along with $15 million provided to the Canadian Red Cross in June. A Recovery Task Force established in June includes representatives from the SPSA, SGI, and several ministries. According to the province, it has already set up a resiliency centre in Denare Beach, cleared debris, and removed hundreds of destroyed vehicles.
On firefighting, Long said the SPSA deployed provincial and northern crews, water bombers, tankers, and heavy equipment, supplemented by mutual aid agreements and federal reinforcements.
While residents say they feel abandoned, the government insists recovery work is well underway.
“If your government did everything it could for us, then please come up here and talk to us,” Werbicki said. “By hiding, you are proving you’re guilty of screwing up and too ashamed to face us.”
The province, however, points to millions in aid, an active recovery task force, and expanded firefighting resources as evidence it is supporting northern Saskatchewan communities through the crisis.
