Helping feed NWT evacuees, making Whitecourt their temporary home

When Yellowknife residents received evacuation orders on Wednesday, August 16, 22,000 people had
one mission: get out before Friday at noon. With fears of losing highway access and air traffic being
unable to get residents out if they waited any longer, authorities made the difficult decision to order
everyone out.
Residents from Yellowknife and nearby Ndilo and Dettah communities could fly out or drive out and had
several places to go. Photos of the long traffic lines heading south down the highway showed the
seriousness of evacuating a large municipality with bumper-to-bumper traffic as far as the eye could see.
For several hundred NWT residents, that home became Whitecourt. Local authorities created a
welcome set up for registration, just like they did for residents from Fox Creek and Little Smokey earlier
this summer. Whitecourt staff welcomed evacuees in with a caring smile and words of comfort,
providing resources and vouchers.
Just as they did with previous evacuees, the Whitecourt Food Bank staff geared up to supply food.
Needing more support, Whitecourt Food Bank Director Lori Coffey reached out to Alberta Food Banks,
hoping to get a much-needed delivery. “I called and spoke with Francesca, an amazing human being. She
changed the system to make it easier when there’s an emergency like this, and it shows. They are using
my list of items as a template now because those are easy, good things you need immediately. They are
now keeping those things in stock for emergencies, and I think that’s cool of them to do that.” Coffey
said within a day and a half of calling, eight pallets appeared on the food bank’s doorstep.
How the eight pallets arrived in Whitecourt is another part of the story. “Matt Joyal at Whitecourt
Transport is honestly the greatest human. I can’t thank him enough. He got Leduc Trucking involved,
donating their services to help get the food here. It was all done for free to help the people. It’s super
cool,” said Coffey.
She explained that Joyal reached out on his own accord to Leduc Trucking and asked if they would like to
join him and help get the food to Whitecourt to support the evacuees. “It made me cry yesterday when
he called me and told me that they were doing what Leduc Trucking was doing and working together to
do it for free to help the evacuees. This community truly, truly is amazing, and that’s what the people
say. They say that everyone is so kind and nice and that everyone is being taken care of,” she said,
speaking of the evacuees.
“The evacuees are really lovely. They are so kind and grateful. It’s so nice when everyone comes
together to help. This is the second time we are doing this. It’s sad to know that people are evacuated
and in this position to need help, but we are getting a system going now that makes it smoother. We are
happy to be able to help,” said Coffey.
On Thursday, August 24, at 10 a.m., a Whitecourt Transport delivery truck beeped its way back to the
food bank door, ready to be unloaded. With help from driver Garry Singh, they unloaded each pallet. “It
was awesome of him to help. We worked together to get these off the truck.”
Once inside the building, food bank staff worked to prep boxes for evacuees to pick up. “We will get
through this quickly because we serve at least thirty boxes daily. We want to make sure they have some

food to tie them over. They are getting vouchers, too, but you still need additional items. That’s why we
tried getting easy stuff for them like pop-top cans, snack items, juice, water and baby food.”
Three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, evacuees can visit the food bank and grab a box.
Perishable boxes provided to Whitecourt residents each week are paused while they offer them to
evacuees. “Evacuees come first, and if there’s anything left over, then Whitecourt residents can have it.
Right now, that’s just something we have to shift to make sure that we take care of everyone.
Whitecourt residents can still access our services at the Food Bank at the other intake window using
their ID. So, we aren’t taking food away from Whitecourt residents that need the food bank. We are just
making it so that everyone is being helped.”
Without knowing how long evacuees will be in the community, Coffey said they’ve prepared for three
weeks. “It goes to show that no matter who comes here and no matter what happens, we all rally
together and make sure they are taken care of.” Coffey said she hopes evacuees feel the love. “We hope
they feel at home here. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in your vehicle in a random town and
be wondering if your house is burning down. I can’t imagine that feeling.” She said evacuees needing
extra support should mention it when they pick up their perishable boxes at the food bank. “Just talk to
us. We will do whatever we can.”
Coffey said a recent heartwarming interaction with a youth during a food bank tour showed just how
meaningful the bond is between the community and those who support it. “There was a little boy, and
for his recent birthday he asked all his friends to bring food instead of presents, and he donated it to the
food bank. While on the tour, he said, now I get to see where my food goes.”
She said explaining what it’s all about and how amazing the community is was a wonderful experience.
“It’s a whole new generation understanding that the food bank isn’t just for poor people. Things happen
in life, and we’ve got you, and when you’re back on your feet, you can help us. It’s full circle, and
everyone is part of it.”
Who knows, that youngster may have donated something now in the hands of a grateful evacuee. “The
community continues to surprise me in ways that make me cry, and they don’t even know it. It’s
absolutely beautiful.”