Métis Nation–Saskatchewan hopes to educate the public on effective emergency planning

Métis Nation–Saskatchewan and the Canadian Red Cross are helping the public prepare for emergency situations. Jasmine Pelletier reports.

Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN-S) is taking new steps to educate the public on how to prepare for an environmental emergency.

Last year, thousands of Saskatchewan residents were forced to evacuate from wildfires, and this year hundreds have already had to evacuate due to severe flooding.

MN-S played a role in helping wildfire evacuees last summer, hosting an evacuation site at Batoche.

“I think it was stressful for everyone involved in emergency management last year with the evacuation of La Ronge, but it was positive,” said MN-S Climate Emergency Specialist Colbi Kuppenbender. “We heard lots from the communities that they were felt really welcomed and that having Métis Nation there, it was really positive. They felt comfortable going to them. They hadn’t really felt that before.”

MN-S and the Canadian Red Cross held a picnic event Friday afternoon in Kinsmen Park for National Emergency Preparedness Week.

MN-S chose Prince Albert because of its role in hosting environmental emergency evacuees from the north.

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The event was designed to help residents understand what to do when flooding or wildfires occur in their community by providing them with information and answering any questions people might have.

Kuppenbender said emergency planning is new for MN-S.

“Last year we kind of got thrown into it with all the evacuations,” she told reporters. “We hosted the Batoche evacuation site, and so we’re just kind of preparing for that. We want people to know that Métis Nation can help people out there, not just Métis citizens.”

Kuppenbender will be travelling to communities to discuss emergency planning.

The Red Cross had flood cleanup kits and emergency kits on hand at the picnic event that guests could enter to win, the emergency kits featuring useful items like thermal blankets and a wind-up radio.

“Know the risk,” advised Georgiana Matharu from the Canadian Red Cross. “Make a plan and make a kit, but I think the most important part is sharing that with your family and the people you care about. You can make a wonderful plan, but if nobody knows about it, it’s not really going to be very helpful.”

Matharu recommended that the public find emergency response information through trusted sources, like municipalities or band councils.