As wildfires continue to impact communities in northern Saskatchewan, some evacuees temporarily housed in Weyburn are raising concerns about access to essential resources and financial support.
One evacuee from Denare Beach, who requested anonymity, said they have struggled to access food vouchers, travel assistance, and support for infant care supplies while staying at a hotel in Weyburn.
“When I phoned last week, they told me because I am staying at one of their evacuation locations and they supply three meals a day, I don’t qualify for food vouchers,” the evacuee shared. “As for travel, they told me until I know our return date, they can't help me, and to phone back when I have the date, and they will see if I qualify for travel money. I asked what about diapers and formula and snacks and stuff and they said they can't help me.”
The individual also expressed frustration about the provincial government’s emergency financial aid program, which includes a $500 payment per adult and $40 per day for the head of household. The disbursement of those funds has reportedly been delayed for some of the evacuees.
“From what I understand, the communities that are supposed to be distributing it are busy with the fact that they just burned down, or are fighting the fires to prevent that,” the evacuee explained. “I understand that we are supposed to receive help, but we are not. Largely, we are told to either keep waiting or that the support in question is only meant for those living on the reserve/Indigenous residents. Calling has just been depressing and gets us nowhere; it is very frustrating, but we will keep trying.”
Weyburn-Bengough MLA Mike Weger addressed some of those concerns in an interview, noting that he met with Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) staff in Weyburn late last week.
“They seemed pretty confident that operations were going well,” Weger said. “They expressed their appreciation for different members in the community and the City of Weyburn in general for support they’ve received, whether it was cab vouchers, swimming pool and Spark Centre passes, or help from the Family Place and the Salvation Army.”
Weger acknowledged the difficulty in distributing financial support, particularly for evacuees from Denare Beach, where administrative operations have been severely disrupted.
“The government didn’t want to take a one-size-fits-all approach,” Weger said. “They are recognizing that there are situations like Denare Beach where the administration isn’t located up in the community at this time because of the devastation. SPSA officials and (Public Safety) Minister (Tim) McLeod’s office are reaching out to administration from each community and trying to find an approach that’s going to work best.”
Weger encouraged evacuees to continue using the toll-free SPSA number (855-559-5502) for updates and questions, and asked local residents looking to help to donate to the Weyburn Salvation Army.
“That was one of the suggestions right from the SPSA, to contact our local Salvation Army,” he added. “They’ve been the main resource. Evacuees were given wristbands and were able to come in and essentially take what they needed.”
Weger said the province continues to provide daily updates on the wildfire situation and support through the SPSA website and social media channels. There is still no timeline confirmed for when evacuees in Weyburn will be able to return home.