‘Everybody feels the loss’: Northern Sask. wildfire evacuees return home to La Ronge

There are mixed emotions in La Ronge, Saskatchwan as some evacuees returned to a home while others returned to ruined remains. Allison Bamford reports.

Thousands of evacuees started returning home to Northern Saskatchewan today, after raging wildfires forced them to flee more than a week ago.

Fires levelled several houses and cabins in areas surrounding La Ronge. Within the townsite, two businesses were lost - Robertson Trading and Rona next door.

“I’m still in the process of processing, if that makes sense. I drive by here everyday. I find it hard to believe,” said Scott Robertson, co-owner of the fur trading company.

“Everybody feels the loss.”

The trading company was a cultural pillar and popular tourist attraction in the community for nearly six decades. It closed permanently last year when Robertson retired. He made sure to still open the doors periodically when demand called for it.

Inside, Robertson housed about 100 furs and countless Indigenous artifacts, artworks and clothing -– items that told the history of the fur trade, settlers and Indigenous peoples.

“I always felt that this town should have some kind of an art gallery, a cultural center. And so we hoarded all kinds of stuff, hoping one day, somewhere, somehow, that would evolve,” he said.

“By doing that, by keeping all of our eggs in one basket, it turns out to be a gigantic mistake.”

The day after officials issued a mandatory evacuation order, a stray ember set fire to Rona, Robertson said. He watched from the parking lot across the street as his building went up in flames next.

“I’m just taking it one day at a time. We’re not going to resurrect this building. I can’t see it happening,” he said.

Besides losing the business that’s been in his family for the last 56 years, Robertson came close to losing his cabin.

Flames surrounded the property as Robertson’s brother fought with a single pump to save the building. But their sister’s property about 100 metres away could not be saved.

‘Happy to be home’

About 7,000 residents from La Ronge, Air Ronge and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band were allowed to go back into their communities as of Thursday morning.

A mandatory evacuation order was issued on June 2.

Maggie Roberts kissed her doorway as she walked back into her house.

“I’m just happy to be home that’s all I can say,” Roberts told CTV News. “My house is still here (and) my truck.”

Roberts didn’t know what she’d see coming home, after she heard the fires were just up the hill from her house.

“We’re good friends with the doctor who lives up the hill, so he was taking care of the place,” she said.

La Ronge mayor Joe Hordyski stayed behind to help his community.

“I made it perfectly clear that I would not allow our firefighters to defend our community without me being there to support,” he said.

Power and utilities are running in the area. The emergency department is open, and the rest of the community’s healthcare services will be available in the coming days. Schools will reopen next week.

But the mayor said it won’t be a complete return to normal.

“There’s still going to be fire activity happening. There are choppers still putting things out, and there’s activity to the south of us,” Hordyski said. “We’ve been reassured that the community will be safe. And we didn’t want to prolong the evacuation.”

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency is on the ground to support the repatriation. Mental health resources are also available.