No Rangers from Nunavik, Nunavut deployed for wildfire evacuation
Canadian Rangers called up over weekend, sent to Eeyou Itschee to help evacuation of some Cree communities
A forest fire burns near Kuujjuaq last week. While Canadian Rangers have been mobilized to help evacuate some Cree communities in northern Quebec, none of the Rangers involved are from Nunavik or Nunavut. The Rangers who were called up last Friday are from the communities where evacuations are taking place. (File photo by Cedric Gallant)
None of the Canadian Rangers called up over the weekend to help evacuate some Cree communities facing forest fires are from Nunavut or Nunavik, a Department of National Defence spokesperson says.
On Friday, the federal government announced that Canadian Rangers will be deployed to Eeyou Istchee to help in Chisasibi, Eastmain and Wemindji.
The Canadian Rangers who were mobilized to perform the evacuation are from the communities affected by the fires, public affairs officer Capt. Hermione Wilson said Monday.
Those communities will be evacuated by flight, as the only road to reach them is amid the forest fires. Eastmain has been under evacuation since Friday.
According to Quebec’s forest fire prevention organization, most of the James-Bay region is completely closed off.
Due to the size of the fires, the Hudson coast is affected by persistent smoke. The Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services announced Kuujjuaraapik, Umiujaq, Kuujjuaq, Inukjuak, Kangiqsualujjuaq and Tasiujaq are under a smoke alert.
A non-news item! What other Ranger detachments were not called out to help with firefighting in Nunavik and Nunavut? Must be quite a few! Maybe we can have more non-news items such as a list of which MP’s did NOT visit Nunavut or Nunavik this week.