Earlier this year a wildfire tore through Chipewyan Lake in Treaty 8 territory – a part of Bigstone Cree Nation.
Almost half of the buildings were destroyed.
“In the Chipewyan Lake community, we lost the outreach centre, we lost the Bigstone Health Centre, we lost the water treatment plant, we lost the church,” said Chief Andy Alook. “And we lost 22 houses.”
“There are about 62 structures in total within Chipewyan Lake.”
The community is located around 450 kilometres due north of Edmonton. Alook said people were able to escape the oncoming flames. Now, some are still without a home.
“Over 50 residents are still being displaced,” he said.
Alook said both the federal and provincial governments have been slow to help. He noted the contrast to the help the town of Jasper, who got funding after a wildfire devasted that community.
“I think the things that happened in Jasper were expedited, and there was a lot of media attention,” he said. “There was a lot of resources that were poured into Jasper in comparison to what happened to Chipewyan Lake. Unfortunately, I don’t feel that we got all the resources that were needed within Chipewyan Lake in a timely manner.
“Even now, having visited the community of Chipewyan Lake yesterday, we are only now getting temporary housing for the residences that had burned.”
The First Nation had to get temporary housing for band members in the Bigstone Cree territory of Wabasca.
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