One northern Quebec town evacuated as wildfires spread; others allowed to return home
By The Canadian Press on June 3, 2023.
MONTREAL – Another northern Quebec town has been evacuated overnight due to an out of control wildfire as the federal government confirmed that Canadian Forces personnel will help deal with the situation in the province. About 2,000 residents of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, in northern Quebec, were the latest to receive a mandatory evacuation notice on Friday evening due to forest fires. The municipality, about 620 kilometres northwest of Montreal, recommended those who couldn’t stay with relatives should leave with an emergency kit and head to Senneterre, about 90 kilometres south of the community. Meanwhile, there was good news for the 1,000 residents of Chapais, another northern Quebec town where the local mayor says residents can return home later today after being forced to evacuate on Wednesday evening. Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair confirmed today the federal government had approved a request from Quebec seeking military assistance, and Canadian Forces troops will be providing firefighting resources and help with wildfire response planning and coordination. In the North Shore community of Sept-ÃŽles, where a state of emergency was declared Friday morning, an evacuation order for residents of certain sectors of town remained in place. It was the same story in the nearby Innu community of Mani-Utenam, where 1,500 residents belonging to the Uashat Mak Mani-utenam First Nation have been relocated. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2023. 8-7
