Young fire evacuees 'touch a truck' during visit from Timmins emergency services
While evacuees from Pikangikum First Nation seek refuge in Timmins, local emergency services wanted to give them a chance to explore fire trucks, a police cruiser, and an ambulance up close.
Marc Depatie, the Timmins Police Service's communications coordinator, said many children from smaller communities — which make up a large portion of these evacuees — may find the loud and flashing vehicles startling.
And so the goal for the trio of emergency services is to let people know that "the men and women in uniform are your friends."
"They are easily approachable and if you’re in a situation where you’re perhaps uncomfortable or your safety’s being jeopardized … the man or woman in uniform is there to assist you," Depatie said.
As the youngsters learned about the emergency vehicles, Timmins' fire chief and emergency management coordinator, Tom Laughren, said an event like this is a much-needed distraction from the situation that has forced them to leave their homes.
With around 50 extreme fires in the northwest region raging on with no clear end in sight, he said acquainting evacuees with the city's emergency services, ensures they know they are being looked after.
"Overall, it’s a challenge to keep activities, keep people busy, but the community has been fantastic because we know it’s not easy for them," Laughren said. "We continue to try to work with the community on activities that they would like to see."
Despite the uncertainty of the situation, Pikangikum First Nation Elder Betty Owen said she is not worried because local services are keeping them comfortable.
Her main concern is that her community stays well and happy until they are able to return home.
"They’re nice people, they donate stuff like clothing," Owen said. "I hope there will be no more smoke over there and (that we can) go home safely."
A sentiment shared by evacuees across the province, though Laughren said this looks to be a summer-long issue.
He said with consistently dry weather and fire crews working to the bone to quell the flames, he said there’s ultimately one thing that will determine how long this evacuation will last.
"We really need rain," Laughren said. "Mother Nature needs to help out."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.