Want to help sandbag in Yukon this weekend? Here's how
9 sandbagging locations in southern Yukon open 24 hours a day
Yukoners looking to help with flood mitigation efforts are invited to grab a shovel this weekend and pitch in at nine sandbag filling stations.
"Any help that people are willing to give... makes a big difference for the people who are trying to protect their homes," said Kat Hallett, a spokesperson for the Government of Yukon.
Whether people are able to stay for one hour or eight, their help is welcome, she said. Stations are open 24 hours a day.
All that is needed is a shovel, water and snacks.
"We're not able to provide shovels, but onsite there is sand, there are bags, and there are zipties," said Hallett during an interview Friday with host Elyn Jones on CBC Radio's Yukon Morning.
Though the areas requiring the most urgent help shift "day by day, even hour by hour," Hallett said help at any of the sites is welcome.
The work is ideally done with two people, so one can hold open the bag while the other shovels.
You can check out where each sandbag-filling site is located by looking at this map.
If you need sandbags or you're looking to volunteer at a sandbagging station, a new flood map for Southern Lakes is now available online. <br>Visit <a href="https://t.co/HahFDS0CJR">https://t.co/HahFDS0CJR</a> to check the location of all stations. The map will be updated with new information as it becomes available. <a href="https://t.co/GBYluYfHHW">pic.twitter.com/GBYluYfHHW</a>
—@YukonPSHallett also said people should take appropriate precautions, given Yukon's COVID-19 wave.
"We're asking Yukoners to follow COVID-19 safety measures, so following physical distancing, and wearing a mask if you aren't able to maintain physical distance," she said.
The sandbagging effort has already been intense, with 400,000 bags already in use. Hallett said the goal is to fill an another 600,000.