SA国际影视传媒

Skip to content

Gameti feeling the pinch of wildfire evacuations

The wildfire evacuations have caused plenty of headaches and stress for those who had to leave.
33777645_web1_230901-YEL-Supplies-in-Gameti-Photo_1
The Rae Lakes General Store in Gameti has been hit hard by the evacuation of Yellowknife. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 had to fly in goods from Edmonton at a cost of $50,000 per charter flight, according to the communitySA国际影视传媒檚 senior administrative officer. Photo courtesy of Rae Lakes General Store

The wildfire evacuations have caused plenty of headaches and stress for those who had to leave.

But for the community of Gameti, which relies heavily on supplies from Yellowknife, itSA国际影视传媒檚 a situation where the community is suffering from a lack of just about everything. Sherbaz Muhammad, the communitySA国际影视传媒檚 senior administrative officer, figures the Rae Lakes General Store has almost run out of the stock it had on hand.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檒l say 100 per cent of the supplies has dropped because Yellowknife is where everything was coming from,SA国际影视传媒 he said. SA国际影视传媒淭he store has to arrange charters to fly in from Edmonton.SA国际影视传媒

While charter flights are a short-term solution, Muhammad said itSA国际影视传媒檚 an expensive one.

SA国际影视传媒淎 single flight will cost up to $50,000,SA国际影视传媒 said Muhammad.

In addition, any items available are limited and the store has had to ration supplies.

To deal with the shortage, the community government has joined with community members to distribute produce from their community garden.

According to Muhammad, low-income residents and Elders are able to receive produce from the community garden from free. For others, there is a small fee: half the price of what it would cost at the general store.

SA国际影视传媒淔or example, a bag of potatoes that would cost $2 a pound at the store is being sold for $1 a pound at the community garden,SA国际影视传媒 he said.

Though there are enough supplies of vegetables such as potatoes and carrots to last for two to three months, Muhammad said that these are not items that people want to eat every day and there is still a need for other food items such as meat, bread, and eggs.

Even cigarettes are being rationed at the local store.

SA国际影视传媒淧eople are only allowed to purchase one pack per day,SA国际影视传媒 he said.

Gameti has a population of just over 300, and Muhammad described the community is currently under SA国际影视传媒渟ome sort of lockdownSA国际影视传媒 due to the road closures and wildfire.

He compared the situation to what happened during Covid-19 when fly-in communities were unable to receive visitors. Flights to and from Yellowknife have been cancelled, leaving residents stuck in Gameti for an unknown amount of time.

Though the supply chain has been impacted, Muhammad said the good thing is that residents are still be able to get fuel thanks to enough supplies arriving back in March on the winter road.



About the Author: Kaicheng Xin

Read more



(or

SA国际影视传媒

) document.head.appendChild(flippScript); window.flippxp = window.flippxp || {run: []}; window.flippxp.run.push(function() { window.flippxp.registerSlot("#flipp-ux-slot-ssdaw212", "Black Press Media Standard", 1281409, [312035]); }); }