NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN – Eight communities remain under evacuation orders, and Tim McLeod, Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety, acknowledged the strain on residents, saying that the province’s priority is supporting affected communities.
To help fight the fires, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) has mobilized resources from across Canada, the United States, and internationally. Firefighting crews and aircraft have arrived from Quebec, Alaska, Colorado, Washington, Australia, and Mexico, with more reinforcements expected in the coming days.
“We are deeply grateful to the provinces, territories, states, and international partners who have shared their resources,” said McLeod. "Their support in this challenging wildfire season demonstrates the importance of our strong inter-jurisdictional partnerships, and the critical role they have in protecting our communities.”
The SPSA’s recovery task team is working directly with impacted communities, including Denare Beach, to clear debris and begin rebuilding. Last week, the province announced $20 million for wildfire recovery, with $1.8 million already allocated to Denare Beach for cleanup and environmental testing.
Steve Roberts, SPSA’s vice president of operations, said the scale of response includes 154 Type 3 firefighters working alongside provincial crews and international reinforcements.
Marlo Pritchard, SPSA president and fire commissioner, confirmed approximately 1,100 people are currently evacuated in Saskatchewan, with additional evacuees from Manitoba also receiving support. The province is providing $500 payments to help offset costs for returning evacuees.
But the Saskatchewan NDP has accused the government of failing northern communities. Athabasca MLA Leroy Laliberte, who visited his hometown of Beauval, surrounded by fire on three sides, said residents feel abandoned.
“Premier Scott Moe hasn’t even publicly spoken about this crisis or posted online about it. He’s given no indication he cares. People feel abandoned. There hasn’t been a public safety update in days and the information provided last week was completely wrong.”
He criticized the Sask. Party for delayed information, citing an instance where officials predicted a fire would reach Beauval in four days, only for it to arrive in four hours. Laliberte also raised concerns about grounded water bombers and difficulties accessing promised financial aid.
The SPSA, however, defended their response, saying that necessary resources are being deployed to Beauval.
“I can say that the 533 individuals that have been evacuated, or 538 evacuated from Beauval are currently being supported in hotels,” said Pritchard. “Of course, their financial needs and food and shelter are being looked after. The other approximately 150 individuals, there has been 50 that have received checks. All of those individuals have been contacted to ensure that they are safe, staying with family and friends, and those financial food security checks are being processed based on a priority system and basically triaged based on need.”
McLeod also defended the government's actions. He issued a statement late Wednesday afternoon saying, "Earlier today the MLA for Athabasca implied that officials at SPSA lied about information they had. I want to assure everyone that the SPSA is using the most up to date information and weather conditions they have at the time of briefing to provide an update."
McLeod added that the opposition has the right to hold the government accountable and he welcomes scrutiny of his. Actions as Minister, and added, “But I would hope that the MLA for Athabasca would issue an apology for the hardworking front-line staff.”
He said SPSA officials have consistently been made available to provide briefings and answer questions.
"In fact, as the fires intensified, we initiated multiple information briefings for Opposition MLAs, with particular attention to Northern members whose communities are directly affected," said McLeod.
"I have personally spoken several times with the MLA for Athabasca to ensure he has current, accurate information. We spoke just minutes before a public statement was released by the NDP last Thursday criticizing the response in Beauval. I’m committed to working with all MLAs, regardless of political party, to ensure they are able to inform and support constituents."
McLeod said he wanted to express his "profound gratitude" to the SPSA front-line staff, municipal fire departments, volunteer fire departments, and countless emergency personnel who are working around the clock, often in extremely dangerous conditions, to protect lives, homes, and communities.
"Their bravery and dedication deserve our respect and support," said McLeod.
Story updated to include additional information from Tim McLeod, Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety.
