More financial assistance is on the way for wildfire evacuees.
Premier Scott Moe announced Wednesday morning a one time emergency payment of $500 for every family evacuated due to the northern wildfires.
“These funds are going to help support families, not only through their evacuated time, but going to help support them as they encounter the cost of returning to their home community,” Moe said at a press conference in Saskatoon.
The premier says the financial aid will be made available to evacuees through local leaders.
“It may look slightly different in each community, but it’s an investment that will be available very shortly to families through their municipal or tribal leadership,” he said.
During the 2015 wildfire season, evacuees were not offered additional financial aid.
When asked what made this year different, Moe says evacuation processes and needs have changed in the past ten years. The premier specifically pointed to the move away from emergency congregate shelters to hotel rooms as an example of changing needs.
The announcement for more financial aid also comes a day after the provincial ombudsman said the government was “falling short” in helping wildfire evacuees.
Moe was asked if he agreed with that assessment. He says he has spoken to evacuees and has heard their concerns.
“We’re going to have to look at what the support looks like and the policies look like moving forward,” he said. “What we’ve heard from evacuees… they’ve told us that, not only does there need to be more support, but it needs to be more prompt in being available to their family.”
The government says they are working to fix the backlog of evacuees receiving support and say the aid will be provided retroactively to the evacuation date in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the government also says the La Ronge Health Centre is expected to open on Thursday when evacuees from the tri-communities are set to return.
The province of Saskatchewan has been in a state of emergency due to wildfires now for 14 days.
Some evacuees have returned and are returning home and rain has helped the firefighting efforts.
However, Premier Moe says crews continue to battle fires and more evacuations may be possible in the near future.