Evacuation order for Sandy Bay cancelled due to decreased wildfire risk

An evacuation order for the Sandy Bay community has been cancelled due to a decreased wildfire risk, effective immediately.

According to an update Tuesday morning by Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN), an assessment confirmed the stability of essential services including water, power, and healthcare – meaning evacuees can now return home.

The mandatory evacuation order was put in place by PBCN on Aug. 13 as fires approached the community. A total of 1,435 evacuees were registered.

“The safety of our people is our top priority, and now that the conditions in Sandy Bay are stable, we want to ensure that every evacuee can return home and settle back into their daily lives,” Vice Chief Justin Halcrow of PBFN said in a media release.

“We deeply appreciate the resilience of our members and the efforts of everyone involved in keeping our communities safe.”

Sandy Bay is one of nine communities that make up PBCN and has a population of about 1,800.

The evacuation order for Southend, which was put in place on Aug. 28, remains in effect. There are 983 evacuees registered in that community. According to the update, they have been relocated to Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Alert while the situation is being monitored.

-With files from the Canadian Press.