The City of Yellowknife, following in similar steps being discussed by the Legislative Assembly, have announced that there will be a review and investigation into the actions that were taken during last year’s wildfire emergency.
The City has hired KPMG, an audit and tax advisory company with offices across Canada, to complete an After Action Assessment to figure out what actions the City took were the most effective during the wildfires to keep people and property safe. They will also be looking at what the City could have done better, and provide recommendations on what can be done to improve those responses should a similar emergency take place later this year.
There will be five phases to KPMG’s investigation;
Phase 1: Project Initiation.
Phase 2: Reviewing documentation. At the time of writing, this is where the investigation is at.
Phase 3: Engagement. This part of the process is expected to take place in late-February, and will see KPMG officers speak with various partners, stakeholders, and members of the public. The KPGM will make use of virtual public forums and in-person focus groups for this stage.
Phase 4: Analysis of the gathered data.
Phase 5: Releasing a report of their findings.
In the meantime, the City has been working on new plans for a potential wildfire season later in 2024 and has been doing so since last fall. City employees are currently looking over and revising the Emergency Plan, and the Community Wildfire Prevention Plan with help from members of the GNWT’s Department of Environment and Climate Change.
The City will be sharing these changes through various channels, including emergency preparedness round table discussions, collaboration with the GNWT’s communication services and the #BeReady campaign, and updates on the City website.
These changes are expected to be ready to share with the public by Spring.
