By Canadian Press

Flooding forces 700 people out of homes in Fort Simpson, N.W.T.

May 11, 2021 | 1:04 PM

FORT SIMPSON, N.W.T. — About 700 residents have been forced from their homes in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., after the island community started to flood over the weekend due to the break up of ice on the Mackenzie River.

Mayor Sean Whelly says a mandatory evacuation order was issued Sunday, but about 50 residents remain in the village.

Whelly says some people have been flown to Fort Smith, with more flights potentially leaving today.

The village says in an update on its Facebook page that water levels on the Mackenzie River are more than 15 metres, something Whelly says hasn’t happened since 1989.

N.W.T. Premier Caroline Cochrane and Community Affairs Minister Paulie Chinna say in a statement that the government is stepping in to help with emergency response.

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An evacuation order was also issued for Hay River on Friday when ice breakup also threatened to flood that community, but that order has been lifted.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2021.

The Canadian Press