Michael Joel-Hansen
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
A Saskatchewan man who lost his home to wildfires in the northern community of Denare Beach is feeling abandoned by the provincial government and wants to see the premier take some accountability.
“I am just sitting there homeless with my wife-to-be and we’ve lost everything,” said Dustin Trumbley, a lifelong resident of northern Saskatchewan.
Trumbley said his feelings of abandonment are being exacerbated by Premier Scott Moe and the Saskatchewan Party’s decision to go ahead with a party fundraiser at Elk Ridge Resort in Waskesiu this week. He said the event hosted by the premier and governing party is leaving a bad taste in his mouth because Moe — until plans were announced Monday — had not visited northern communities to meet with residents impacted by fires.
Canada’s 2025 wildfire season is now the second-worst on record, according to figures posted by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Much of that has come in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, together accounting for more than half the area burned so far across the country.
“It’s a gross, disgusting feeling,” Trumbley said.
The province announced Monday that Moe and Tim McLeod, the minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), would be visiting the communities of La Loche and Beauval to meet with local leaders and tour SPSA facilities.
Trumbley said northerners need to hear from Moe about what the province’s plans are.
“He needs to explain to us what he’s going to do to prevent this in the future so we have reassurance for next season,” said Trumbley, speaking to media in Saskatoon on Monday alongside NDP MLAs Jordan McPhail and Brittney Senger.
The provincial wildfire response has attracted criticism from a multitude of people and organizations.
In June, Saskatchewan ombudsman Sharon Pratchler said her office received reports of people waiting for days to hear about getting support for food and shelter.
Trumbley this week was critical of the province’s response when it came to combating the wildfires and protecting communities. He said waterbombers being grounded and unable to fully support firefighters is something he is especially bothered by.
“If I was a leader I would be embarrassed,” he said.
McPhail, the NDP critic for northern affairs, said he was happy about the premier’s decision to visit impacted communities in the northwest. McPhail said workers on the frontlines did the best they could but that the province did not properly resource the SPSA for this year’s wildfire season.
“Nearly half of their fleet was down on the waterbomber side,” he said.
McPhail was also critical of the provincial government’s decision to not urgently and immediately request help from the federal government to support local volunteer firefighters, who he said were run off their feet trying to save communities. He called on Moe to engage with northerners and to help them rebuild.
“Build a plan with the people that are actually affected by the devastation of this wildfire season,” he said.
Trumbley said he and his fianceé are currently living out of a camper at his brother’s property. They are hoping to have their home rebuilt by winter, though he is not optimistic about that timeline.
“Insurance is very slow because there’s such a huge disaster,” he said.
Among the reasons for the hold up, Trumbley said, is because his insurance company is waiting on more quotes from contractors before moving forward.
In the future Trumbley expects to see his insurance rates climb dramatically, driven in part by the fact his rebuilt house will be brand new. He worries that higher insurance rates will make it even harder for people in the north to get by.
“It’ll be atrocious,” he said.
