Letter used to notify Kakisa, N.W.T., of evacuation order amid telecommunications breakdown

The small N.W.T. community of Kakisa was in the midst of a telecommunications breakdown and threatened by wildfire when the territorial government notified it — by letter — to evacuate.

"Because the fire was causing communication challenges, this was not a typical situation," told Jay Boast, a spokesperson for the N.W.T.'s department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA), in an email to CBC News.

Usually, N.W.T. communities make their own decisions to evacuate, based on advice from the emergency management organization and the territory's department of Environment and Climate Change (ECC). 

In this case, however, the decision was made for the community, by others. 

Boast said the evacuation order issued last Thursday morning for the roughly 40 people in Kakisa was "needed and appropriate at the time for the safety of the community." He said that given the communications challenges, the chief of the community was notified by letter.

'We're doing OK,' says chief

Bobby Bourque, representing the South Slave regional emergency management organization, confirmed during Wednesday night's press conference that Kakisa was planning to head to Fort Simpson that day.

"I spoke to the leadership in Kakisa this morning, and they've let me know they've made plans to leave the community," he said.

Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation Chief Lloyd Chicot confirmed to CBC News on Monday evening he was given a letter by ECC officers sometime over the weekend. Chicot was not clear about which day, exactly. 

He also said his community became aware of the evacuation order, though not officially, by watching CBC News on TV, either Thursday or Friday. 

"We're doing OK, we're safe," Chicot had said Monday, confirming the community's 38 residents remained in town at the time. "We're one of the traditional communities, where a lot of our members try to take care of each other, they work together to make sure everyone is taken care of."

NorthwesTel said as of 11 a.m. Wednesday that service in Jean Marie River had been restored, leaving Kakisa as the only South Slave community that still didn't have telecommunications service.

After days of CBC News trying to reach the chief, Chicot returned the call from a lookout over McNallie Creek, south of Kakisa on Highway 1 on the way to Enterprise. 

"It's the only access we have to cell service," he said.

Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Shane Thompson has said the community has been given a Starlink dish, so it has internet access as well. 

Why didn't Kakisa evacuate earlier?

Kakisa is threatened by the same fire as Hay River, N.W.T., another community under an evacuation order. As of N.W.T. Fire's last update, the fire was 14 kilometres away from Kakisa and eight kilometres away from Hay River. 

Last week's evacuation order directed Kakisa residents to head for Fort Simpson, N.W.T. Although officials said the community was planning to leave Kakisa on Wednesday, Chicot provided some insight into why, as of Monday, they had decided to stay. 

Chicot said as traffic from Yellowknife flowed past along Highway 1, some members were restless to leave.

"But we stuck it out, and we wanted to do a little more this time than just running away," he said. 

Kakisa was evacuated because of a wildfire in 2014. At the time, Chicot said members went to Fort Providence and Hay River and it was "complete chaos." They learned from the experience he said, and members have their bags packed, ready to leave at a moment's notice. 

Chicot said the community has also built firebreaks and cleared an area of trees where equipment can be stored if a fire does come through. 

N.W.T. Fire has said there are sprinklers in Kakisa to protect structures if the wildfire draws closer. Heavy equipment has been used to curb the fire's growth toward the community.

"We're in a safe spot," Chicot had said Monday, adding that community members were regularly heading out on the highway and by boat to monitor the fire, the conditions, and the direction of the wind. 

"When the fire gets too close to the highway, then we'll make our exit."