During a press conference on Saturday evening officials in the Northwest Territories said the weather forecasted for the next week may worsen wildfires raging across the territory.
Wildfire information officer Mike Westwick said great efforts have been made on the ground especially near Portsmouth as the fires remain four kilometres away from Fort Smith as well in First Nations communities in Hay River where the fires remain eight kilometres away. However, strong winds and warmer temperatures reaching around 20C are expected and that will likely make firefighting efforts more difficult.
"The fire is taking a nap but it's gonna wake up and we still have a serious situation to handle here," Westwick said on Saturday during a press conference.
Officials in the Northwest Territories have been monitoring a fire 15 kilometres to the northwest of Yellowknife, especially with winds shifting and blowing to the east.
Crews have created firebreaks, or strips of land that are cleared of trees and brush that could fuel fires, and used sprinklers and air tankers to help stop the fire from potentially spreading.
The government warns that westerly winds and warmer temperatures in the 20s are expected Sunday, which "will lead to increased fire behaviour" from noon into later in the evening.
There were 236 active fires in the Northwest Territories as of noon MDT Saturday. The territory has seen a total of 269 fires so far this year that have burned more than 21,000 square kilometres.
The weather forecast for Yellowknife has pointed to a chance of showers with a risk of thunderstorms Saturday afternoon and evening, along with wind gusts from the northwest.
Evacuees from Yellowknife, the territorial capital of the Northwest Territories, queue up to get gas at Big River Service in Fort Providence, N.W.T., Aug. 17, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill Braden
Air quality statements were in effect for Yellowknife and other surrounding areas due to the wildfire smoke, while the local air quality index ranged from "very high" earlier in the morning to about "moderate" closer to noon.
Health and Social Services Minister Julie Green said 39 patients from Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife were transferred to British Columbia Friday late evening by Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) aircrafts. One patient has died during prepartions for transport, Green said. No details were given on the identity or cause of death of the patient.
"This was an expected death, however, I want to say my personal condolences to their family as they grieve during this difficult time," Green said during the press conference.
Green says health authorities have transferred approximately 290 patients throughout the past week.
In an email statement sent to CTV News on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) said five CAF evacuation flights have transported approximately 260 people in total, including 100 people from Fort Smith and Hay River, N.W.T., who were brought to Fort McMurrary, Alta., and about another 160 people who were taken to Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.
The CAF said more than 200 members have been deployed to assist with the wildfire response. Personnel from the Royal Canadian Air Force is on standby to provide aircraft support for evacuation efforts and two Canadian Divisions from Quebec are aiding on the ground with firefighting support.
Officials in the Northwest Territories, where about half of the population has been displaced due to ongoing wildfires, said in an update Saturday evening that more than 19,000 people have left Yellowknife to date and nearly 68 per cent of the territory's population have fled.
Of the 2,600 people still left in the capital, 1,600 are considered non-essential workers.
"It happens in every community that is trying to evacuate," Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty told CTV News Channel on Saturday.
"There's a few folks that just want to stay and protect their property or they don't think it's real, they think it's not a threat, so it's a challenge, but we'll continue to stress — now is the time to leave. The time is not when it's actually a critical emergency."
Alty said the reason is so crews who are helping to protect the community can "focus on the threat at hand and not trying to get people out of the way of the danger."
"So, again, really encourage anybody, if your family is still here, keep trying to encourage them to leave," she added.
Yellowknife, a city of about 22,000 people, and other communities in the Northwest Territories are currently under an evacuation order and the territorial government has declared a state of emergency because of the fires.
Most residents have fled to Alberta and Manitoba by road and evacuation flights. More flights out of Yellowknife were scheduled Saturday.
The B.C. government, meanwhile, has also declared a state of emergency due to fires there, namely in the West Kelowna area.
Alty said while there has been some rain, it is still not enough to control the fire.
"I don't want to paint the over-positive picture because I also have heard, 'Oh, OK, it's safe to come back.' No, no, no, no, it's not," she said.
Devin Bellinger, programming director for 100.1 True North Radio in Yellowknife, told CTV News Channel that he saw people at local grocery stores and trying to fill up their vehicles on Friday.
"There's a lot of mixed feelings about people leaving on their own accord," he said. "Maybe some people were getting their last-minute supplies yesterday, but there were also a lot of people who did leave."
Bellinger has chosen to stay behind but said he has plans in place to leave by air or vehicle if he needs to.
Highway 3, the only major roadway in or out of Yellowknife, remains open and officials say thousands of people and vehicles have already left the city.
"If the fires breach the city, I'm sure a lot of those people who would stay behind will probably take off at that point," Bellinger said.
However, he said the ability to communicate to listeners and readers through social media has been "stunted" due to Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, blocking some Canadians from seeing news on their platforms in opposition to the federal government's Online News Act.
The law forces companies such as Meta and Google to develop agreements to compensate news companies for sharing their content.
Meta said in a statement Thursday that Canadians could still use the company's platforms "to connect with their communities and access reputable information, including content from official government agencies, emergency services and non-governmental organizations."
Content posted on the Facebook page for 100.1 True North could not be viewed by CTVNews.ca at the time of publication.
"We are able to still update our website and the problem is it's hard to reach everyone who's evacuated, who follows our social (media pages) because of this," Bellinger said.
"And whoever is to blame for it, it's certainly something that tech giants should consider in emergency situations like this."
News Media Canada, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and the CBC have filed a request to the Competition Bureau to investigate and prohibit Meta from blocking news on its platforms. CTV News is a division of Bell Media, which is a member of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters.
With files from CTV National News Alberta Bureau Chief Bill Fortier
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the number of people who were transported on Canadian Armed Forces evacuation flights. Five Canadian Armed Forces flights have transported 260 people to date.
Health Minister Mark Holland says while he is 'deeply appreciative' of the work doctors in Canada do, the federal government has no plans to scrap the proposed capital gains tax changes outlined in the latest budget, despite opposition from the Canadian Medical Association.
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
The President of Poland says his country would 'of course' be interested in purchasing Canadian liquefied natural gas if it were available, while the Canadian federal government has said it is 'not interested' in subsidizing future projects.
Human rights groups and diplomats criticized a law that was quietly passed by the Iraqi parliament over the weekend that would impose heavy prison sentences on gay and transgender people.
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Security was tight around a military base in southwestern Cambodia on Sunday, a day after a huge explosion there killed 20 soldiers, wounded others and damaged nearby houses.
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
As the Lower Mainland's Filipino community gathered in South Vancouver for Lapu-Lapu Day on Saturday, one of the festival's organizers set its sights on creating a future focal point for such gatherings.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
The special teams unit has become a strength for the Canucks, particularly in the first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators which the Canucks lead 2-1 heading into Sunday's Game 4.
Brad Marchand became the Bruins' all-time leading playoff goal-scorer and added an assist as Boston suffocated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Saturday to take a 3-1 lead in the teams' first-round playoff series.
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
It was a long-awaited reunion at the Calgary International Airport Saturday as Ossama Zaqqout hugged his parents, who had just arrived after fleeing the war in Gaza.
A blue SUV and a motorbike collided Saturday afternoon in the Beltline.
One Siksika Nation resident has been charged and an arrest warrant for a second man has been issued in relation to an April 24 homicide in Gleichen.
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Sunday seems quite warm in the capital this Sunday, but rain and thunderstorms are not making it feel like spring.
The Ottawa Fire Services says crews have extinguished a fire that engulfed a barn and spread into another nearby building Saturday evening along Woodkilton Road, west of Ottawa.
Several students have launched an encampment at McGill University as they call on the institution to cut financial ties with Israel.
Montreal says public transit trips were up between 15 and 20 per cent among people age 65 and over in the six months after it made the service free for local seniors.
Quebec provincial police say a 51-year-old woman has died after a head-on collision in the town of Lachute, roughly 50 kilometres west of Montreal, early this morning.
Kris Knoblauch is five months into watching Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl go to work.
Two years and $8 million worth of beds, couches, dishes and dressers later, the Ukrainian Newcomer Free Furniture Warehouse is closing its doors.
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
A Toronto-based restructuring firm says several bidders have offered to buy all or part of SaltWire Network and The Halifax Herald, the two insolvent companies that operate Atlantic Canada's largest newspaper enterprise.
Halifax’s professional soccer team kicks off its sixth season against Ottawa on Saturday with a sold-out crowd of 6,500 fans on the Wanderers Grounds.
“This is the largest year we’ve had”: annual provincial strongman competition sees record levels of participation and support with 55 athletes taking part
The trial for the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg is set to get underway on April 29.
A Winnipeg scale model builder is using his craft to showcase a large piece of Canadian history in miniature form.
With heavy wind gusts expected along Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg this weekend, the provincial government is warning residents and property owners about potential ice pileups.
'Feel through the Deepness to see,' an art installation by artist Rita McKeough, will be calling the Dunlop Art Gallery home for the next two months.
Regina's annual model train showcase rolled into town this weekend at the Caledonian Curling Club.
The team of Commissionaires at The Regina Public Library’s downtown branch have received one of the organization’s top honours.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
A driver has been arrested and a pedestrian has been seriously injured following a hit-and-run crash in Cambridge.
Rainy weather for the second year in a row once again did not deter attendees from a special fundraising event.
Workers at group homes run by LutherCare Communities in Saskatoon are escalating their strike action.
On Saturday, in a display of cross-cultural solidarity, members of the Indigenous and Palestinian communities gathered in Saskatoon for an event steeped in prayer and dance.
The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) and Saskatchewan Coroners Service are investigating after a woman’s body was found at a recycling facility Friday morning.
The Municipality of French River has been under a flood watch since Thursday evening and many residents told CTV News that they fear the already high water levels combined with the rain forecasted in the coming days may cause more widespread flooding.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm watch for several communities in northeastern Ontario on Saturday afternoon – primarily the Greater Sudbury area and West Nipissing.
Working smoke alarms and an alert passerby are credited with saving the lives of several people after a fire broke out at a home in the city’s south end early Sunday morning.
Police in Meaford are investigating after a senior drowned Saturday morning.
Approximately 5.5 per cent of registered voters have cast their ballot as advanced polling in the Lambton-Kent-Middlesex by-election gets underway.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Police in Meaford are investigating after a senior drowned Saturday morning.
Despite the poor weather, a festival celebrating all things maple syrup drew thousands of people to Elmvale on Saturday.
A former graduate of Holy Names Catholic High School in Windsor will soon be moving to New York after being selected during the 2024 NFL Draft.
A man is facing several charges after allegedly possessing a knife during an altercation and fleeing from police early Sunday morning.
Playing bingo in April made a local resident $100,000 richer -- and will keep him in his home.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
J.T. Miller had a goal and assist and the Vancouver Canucks edged the Nashville Predators 2-1 to re-take the lead in their first-round playoff series.
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
The Brooks Bandits got down to business Friday, defeating the Okotoks Oilers 8-2.
An Alberta political scientist said the NDP leadership hopefuls remained fairly even following the first of the party’s debates.
It was a busy Wednesday evening for fire crews in Lethbridge County after multiple grass fires were sparked near the Kipp rail yard.
St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake says it is moving towards “normalcy” by transitioning to a mask-friendly policy.
Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm watch for several communities in northeastern Ontario on Saturday afternoon – primarily the Greater Sudbury area and West Nipissing.
About 100 delegates from around the province travelled to Timmins, Ont., for its annual general meeting and convention at Cedar Meadows Resort and Spa.
Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.
Cenovus Energy has been ordered to pay a $2.5-million fine for its role in the largest offshore oil spill ever recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
As if a 4-0 Edmonton Oilers lead in Game 1 of their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings wasn't good enough, what was announced at Rogers Place during the next TV timeout nearly blew the roof off the downtown arena.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Health Minister Mark Holland says while he is 'deeply appreciative' of the work doctors in Canada do, the federal government has no plans to scrap the proposed capital gains tax changes outlined in the latest budget, despite opposition from the Canadian Medical Association.
The President of Poland says his country would 'of course' be interested in purchasing Canadian liquefied natural gas if it were available, while the Canadian federal government has said it is 'not interested' in subsidizing future projects.
The number of measles cases around the world nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023, researchers say, presenting a challenge to efforts to achieve and maintain elimination status in many countries.
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the U.S., where a new law threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance divests. Here are the places that have partial or total bans on TikTok.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning new image of the glowing gas ejected from a dying star, which in this case happens to resemble a 'cosmic dumbbell.'
California performers are organizing to be represented by a union now, more than four decades after their Florida counterparts did so.
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
Taking place in May in Malmo, Sweden, the 68th annual competition will see acts from 37 countries vie for the continent’s pop crown in a feelgood extravaganza that strives — not always successfully – to banish international strife and division. And you don’t have to be in Europe to watch, or to help pick the winner.
The rise of remote and hybrid work has made it harder to justify a full office, so more are leaning on co-working spaces that they share with many others for convenience and cost savings. The choice, however, comes at the expense of privacy and control.
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
The federal and Quebec governments are spending close to $100 million to boost the country's manufacturing capacity for semiconductors, which are vital in technologies ranging from artificial intelligence to quantum computing.
Take an illustrated look back at the culinary history of Winnipeg.
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Mookie Betts went 3 for 5, including a triple and an RBI single, as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Saturday.
Canadian football observers thought it could happen, and on Saturday, it did. Towering offensive lineman Giovanni Manu – who was born in Tonga and grew up in Pitt Meadows, B.C. – became the first player from the University of British Columbia ever to be selected in the NFL draft.
William Nylander has joined the Stanley Cup chase.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
