Close X
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
ADVT 
National

Northern Alberta residents start returning home after evacuation due to fires

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 03 Jun, 2019 10:14 PM

    Some residents in northern Alberta have started to return home after wildfires forced them to leave their communities two weeks ago.

    An evacuation order was lifted for residents of High Level, the surrounding areas of Mackenzie County and the Dene Tha' First Nation communities of Bushe River, Meander River and Chateh.

    Officials say the 4,000 people who are allowed to return home remain on evacuation alert and should be prepared to leave on short notice if conditions change.

    The last recorded size of the Chuckegg Creek fire near High Level was about 2,800 square kilometres.

    The Alberta government also announced that schools in the Fort Vermilion School Division will be closed for the rest of the year.

    Education Minister Adriana LaGrange says it's related to the wildfires and the school's ventilation systems.

    "An inspection by the school division's insurance holder has indicated that all of the schools need to be professionally cleaned," she said in a news release Monday.

    "The safety of students is my No. 1 priority. This closure will give them one less thing to worry about and help them focus on being with their families during this difficult time."

    Another fire still has the town of Slave Lake on evacuation alert. A quickly moving wildfire in 2011 destroyed nearly one-third of that community.

    Mandatory evacuation orders remain in place for Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement, some communities in the County of Northern Lights, Bigstone Cree Nation, parts of the municipal district of Opportunity, and several other hamlets and First Nations in northern Alberta.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    With Trump's New Tariff Threats, New NAFTA Once Again Hangs In The Balance

    President Donald Trump says he'll put tariffs on all goods from Mexico starting next month, a surprise move that could blow up chances of ratifying the new North American free-trade agreement.

    With Trump's New Tariff Threats, New NAFTA Once Again Hangs In The Balance

    CBC Head Defends Coverage After Scheer Suggests Too Much Focus On U.S. Politics

    Catherine Tait appeared Thursday before a committee of MPs in Ottawa and was asked by Liberal MP Wayne Long to respond to Scheer's comments, which he said he found concerning.

    CBC Head Defends Coverage After Scheer Suggests Too Much Focus On U.S. Politics

    Woman Can't Have Embryo Implanted Without Ex-Husband's Consent, Court Rules

    Woman Can't Have Embryo Implanted Without Ex-Husband's Consent, Court Rules
    TORONTO — A divorced woman cannot have a purchased frozen embryo implanted over the objections of her ex-husband, Ontario's top court ruled on Friday in a ground-breaking case.

    Woman Can't Have Embryo Implanted Without Ex-Husband's Consent, Court Rules

    Sentencing Hearing To Continue For Calgary Couple Convicted In Son's Death

    Sentencing Hearing To Continue For Calgary Couple Convicted In Son's Death
    A sentencing hearing is to continue today for a Calgary couple convicted in the death of their 14-month-old son.

    Sentencing Hearing To Continue For Calgary Couple Convicted In Son's Death

    Five Charged With Dozens Of Trafficking Offences In Surrey, B.C.

    Five Charged With Dozens Of Trafficking Offences In Surrey, B.C.
    A 51-year-old man and four teenagers face multiple charges in what police in Surrey, B.C., allege is an illicit drug trafficking group operating in the Lower Mainland.

    Five Charged With Dozens Of Trafficking Offences In Surrey, B.C.

    Negotiations Continued Through The Night In Effort To Avoid B.C. Port Lockout

     Talks continued through the night between British Columbia's longshore workers' union and the association representing port employers.

    Negotiations Continued Through The Night In Effort To Avoid B.C. Port Lockout