Rebecca Alty

YELLOWKNIFE, N.W.T. —As wildfire season approaches and Yellowknife’s the review of last year’s evacuation continues. The majority of Yellowknife’s media was not present in the city after the evacuation order was issued last August. Most left with the general public. To some, the media’s responsibility is to be present and document the major events of climate change firsthand — but only with proper gear and training. To others, little is to be gained from being present and the more likely scenario is the media using up precious resources. Rebecca Alty, Yellowknife’s mayor, said that is a tough balancing act. She said the media does have an important role, but with last year’s evacuation reaching international news outlets, there would need to be limits. Alty said journalists with proper safety training would make the situation safer, but there’s still a limited amount of food and medical care available under an evacuation order.