As wildfires continue to ravage the Northwest Territories, communities around the north are starting to feel the effects.
Flight delays and cancellations combined with unfavourable weather has crippled the supply chain north of Yellowknife, leading to slim pickings at northern grocery stores.
In Kugaaruk Nunavut, the Co-op serving the community is suffering major delays as the only connection to supply routes are through air or sea transport.
“At least four of the last six planned flights have ended up being cancelled,” Vice President of Stakeholder Relations for Arctic Co-operatives Duane Wilson tells MyTrueNorthNow.
“You rely on steady flights to be able to get cargo in to meet the needs of the community.”
“I think the time of year may play into it a little bit as well in the fact that this is the time of the year where community resupply is happening in the region, and that community is probably about two weeks from getting their resupply vessel,” Wilson adds.
Additionally, the situation in Yellowknife has caused increasing fear in northern communities due to the city’s role as a hub for the north, with most supply routes moving through the diamond capital.
“I think the situation in Yellowknife has caused some panic buying, their sales are dramatically up, and they’re attributing it to people being concerned about availability and to the extent they can, hoarding goods for fear that the situation in Yellowknife might cause further disruptions in the supply chain,” Wilson says.
“You get the compounding effect of people buying long for fear because of the fire.”
“You’re always working in a balance, especially with perishable goods because you don’t want to be throwing them out,” Wilson adds.
According to Wilson, the supply issue may be resolved within the next two weeks as a resupply barge is on the way to the community, and fresh produce has been resupplied as of the morning of August 23, 2023.
