The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority has announced that full health and social services have resumed in Fort Simpson, with the final stage of reopening completed yesterday with the return of long-term care residents who had been evacuated to Yellowknife.
The Fort Simpson Health Centre was closed earlier this summer because of the evacuation order put in place for the community due to wildfires. The evacuation order was downgraded to an evacuation alert on July 18 and was lifted entirely on July 24.
Fort Simpson’s Elder Care Home residents were evacuated from the community on June 26 as part of NTHSSA’s Emergency Response Plan. Long-term care residents are typically returned to their communities once the evacuation status has been downgraded to a ‘notice’.
“This is a precautionary approach intended to avoid the need for coordination of a logistically complex move of vulnerable elders in the midst of a community-wide evacuation order due to encroaching wildfire threat,” said NTHSSA in a press release.
The NTHSSA expressed their thanks to the many dedicated staff members who made this evacuation and return process possible.
“Staff from both Fort Simpson and Yellowknife worked together to ensure residents remained safe, comfortable, and well-supported,” said NTHSSA.
