As Hay River residents return this week it will be integral to know when some services and businesses are reopening and their hours of operation. We will continue to keep this updated as information changes throughout the weekend into next week. 

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After most Yellowknife residents returned home over the weekend, traffic flow is expected to return to normal. 

As a result, the GNWT is ending temporary support services put in place for Yellowknife's re-entry. 

As of today, September 11 at 8:00 am, tow trucks will no longer patrol the highway and there will be no emergency fuel available for anyone returning. Temporary portable washrooms installed on the Rae Access Road, North Arm Park, Fort Providence and the Deh Cho Bridge will no longer be available. 

Additionally, no supports are available in Northern Alberta and anyone returning is still encouraged to pack 72 hours of basic supplies in case of emergency. 

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NWT RCMP have reported seeing an "alarming uptick" in excessive speeding on Highway 1 in recent days as evacuated residents re-enter the territory. 

Police are reminding residents the speed limit on the highway from the NWT border to the community of Enterprise is 90km/h however, officers say they are routinely issuing traffic tickets for speeds ranging from 30 to over 50km/h above the posted limit.

"We understand that people are eager to return home, but the speed limit is in place for a reason," Hay River RCMP Corporal Sheldon Preston says. 

According to officials, at least 10 speeding tickets have been issued in the last two days alone. 

"Crews are already putting themselves in danger every day to fight these fires without having to deal with dangerous drivers," Preston adds. 

NWT Fire and its crews are continuing fire suppression efforts along the highway and surrounding area, alongside fallen trees in the roadway and heavy smoke has elevated the risk for drivers even with current speed limits in place. 

The RCMP says anyone who chooses to jeopardize highway safety for everyone on the highway should "expect to be ticketed." 

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The City of Yellowknife has released a timeline of when city-run facilities will resume their operations.

As evacuees continue to make their return to the city and to their homes, the local government has been planning and working to prepare for the opening of facilities and resumption of programs and services. They advise residents that not all city facilities will be open at the same time, and that some programs and services will take some time to fully come back. These all depend on factors like scheduling, staff training, and ensuring facilities are prepared for public use.

City Hall will be open to the public on September 12^th for their regular winter hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Planning, Lands and Building Services will be open. The Municipal Enforcement Division in City Hall will be operating as usual with Parking Enforcement commencing Monday, September 11.

The Yellowknife Public Library will be open to the public on September 12^th for regular hours. In-person and online services will be available. Special YPL programs will not resume right away, please stay tuned to the City’s social media and website for more information.

The Ruth Inch Memorial Pool will need to be to undergo its annual maintenance before it can open to the public for use. The facility is slated to be open to the public on Monday, October 2. More information on swimming lessons and registration dates will be provided in the upcoming weeks.

The Solid Waste Facility will be open until Sunday, September 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. During this period, there will be a $0 tipping fee. The SWF will be closed Monday, September 11. As of Tuesday, September 12, the SWF will open for regular hours and regular fees will apply. The $0 tipping fee is only for residential waste caused by the evacuation, such as spoiled food.

Garbage pick-up is running now, and will run until September 29^th. This will not include organic compost at this time. Compost pick-up will begin on the week of October 2^nd, after which the regular bi-weekly schedule will resume.

There will be no impact to public safety services, and the City’s transit system will resume on September 11^th, assuming that staffing levels will be enough to provide constant service.

The Visitor Information Centre, Fieldhouse, Multiplex, and Community Centre will all be open for their regular hours on September 12^th.

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As Yellowknifers continue their expedition returning home, MyTrueNorthNow has gathered some key information regarding what northerners can expect when they return to the capital. 

Upon re-entry of the territory, keep in mind much of the South Slave continues to battle a devastating forest fire of its own; be mindful of flames that continue to smolder away near Enterprise and Hay River. 

[caption id="attachment_65428" align="alignnone" width="300"] Fires smoldering outside Enterprise (Photo: Ethan Montague)[/caption]

An RCMP blockade has been set up at the intersection separating Enterprise and Hay River, re-enforcing the GNWT's announcement that the region is still fighting the blaze ravaging the area. Anyone attempting to re-enter Hay River at this time will be turned away at the blockade. 

[caption id="attachment_65423" align="alignnone" width="300"] Bloackade manned by GNWT and RCMP crews (Photo: Ethan Montague)[/caption]

Further up the road on the Deh Cho bridge, residents will notice a single lane crossing, acting as a traffic control for the expected influx of residents attempting to cross towards Fort Providence. 

[caption id="attachment_65424" align="alignnone" width="300"] Worker controlling traffic on Deh Cho Bridge (Photo: Ethan Montague)[/caption]

In Fort Providence, additional infrastructure has been implemented to guide any potential line formations that take place near the Petro-Canada in the area.

[caption id="attachment_65425" align="alignnone" width="300"] Pylons mark the lines for residents looking for gas on the last leg of their trip home (Photo: Ethan Montague)[/caption]

Despite a recent power outage in the area, Petro-Canada remains active along the Mackenzie River. 

[caption id="attachment_65421" align="alignnone" width="300"] Fallen power lines in the South Slave (Photo: Ethan Montague)[/caption]

According to Petro-Can employees, the first day of re-entry saw very little activity compared to the initial evacuation of Yellowknife.

On Highway 3 between Fort Providence and Behchokǫ̀, residents are reminded to remain cautious, as bison are prominent along the highway at this time, alongside foxes and even bears close to the city. 

[caption id="attachment_65426" align="alignnone" width="300"] Bison grazing along Highway 3 (Photo: Ethan Montague)[/caption]

If residents find themselves in the dark during the last few hours of their travels, remain cautious as smoke has limited visibility across the North Slave, and crews remain working along the highway at this time.

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The NWT RCMP has begun preparations for the Yellowknife re-entry set to open up in less than 30 hours. 

According to police, RCMP officers will have a heavy presence across the north in Alberta and across the NWT to ensure travellers are obeying laws and driving safely. 

"We understand that everyone is very eager to get home, but we need to make sure that everyone gets home safely," RCMP Corporal Matt Halstead tells MyTrueNorthNow. 

"People travelling back can expect an increased police presence in Northern Alberta and there will be lots of RCMP officers on the highways in the NWT." 

"We're going to be enforcing traffic rules, and that includes speed limits."

"There's going to be zero tolerance for anyone disobeying traffic controls near those fire crews or anyone that engages in dangerous driving," Halstead adds. 

Additionally, traffic volume concerns continue to raise questions regarding travel and wait times. Evacuees may remember the long lines near Fort Providence for gas and amenities, and Halstead says anyone returning to the capital should expect delays in the same areas.  

"We want people to plan for delays and traffic congestion, we know people want to get home in a hurry but that just might not be possible with the amount of people that are travelling back," Halstead says. 

"The traffic and road conditions you experienced on the way down like long lines at the gas station, reduced speed as a result of large traffic volumes, as well as the additional bottle necks at the Deh Cho Bridge and the Big River Service Centre are things that will be a potential that you encounter on the way back," he adds. 

Despite the precautions taken by the RCMP, Corporal Halstead says due to evacuees spread out across Western Canada, the re-entry should see fewer cars and congestion than the initial evacuation. 

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Yellowknife and Area Schools has announced a preliminary schedule for a return for students during the 2023/24 school year. 

"We look forward to returning to some normalcy as soon as possible," The districts say. 

According to the districts, September 11 will see a return of staff who will begin preparing and setting up schools to welcome students. 

September 12 and 13 will mark the beginning of registration and distribution for high school students. 

Doors are set to open officially on Thursday, September 14, for all students and the districts have made plans to implement supports for students who are suffering from any potential impacts of the fires and subsequent evacuations. 

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As Yellowknifers prepare to head home on Wednesday after a three week displacement across the country, the municipality is now tasked with preparing for an influx of city service use in the community. 

Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty spoke on some key elements of a successful return for residents saying the City has put an emphasis on garbage collection. 

"Garbage pickup is going to start on Thursday and we're going to focus on just garbage for the first couple weeks and then we'll resume the garbage and compost schedule in October," Alty tells MyTrueNorthNow. 

"Garbage pickup will resume on Thursday and organics will begin again October 2nd," she adds. 

Additionally, the City has announced the Solid Waste Facility will be open for residents during regular hours from Thursday to Sunday for Yellowknifers to drop off residential waste at no cost. 

"It's not amnesty days though so it's not large items or construction waste or stuff if you've been doing your fall cleaning, it's just focusing on residential garbage, if you've got to clear out your fridge, that sort of thing," the Mayor says. 

Alty has announced the city is working to organize an official amnesty day after the re-entry commotion settles, for residents to drop off any additional large items they may have. 

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The RCMP has announced they will be on the roadways as residents return to Yellowknife to ensure a safe re-entry for all.

As a result of the current re-entry plans, police have issued several tips to drivers as they prepare to make the long journey home. 

Officers will be posted to check stops throughout the territory to enforce speed limits and ensure residents are eligible to re-enter as the evacuation order stands for South Slave communities. 

Additionally, officers will be on the lookout for broken down vehicles and will stop to provide aid to anyone in need during the return. 

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The GNWT has announced flight pre-registration is available for residents to make the return home process easier. 

After the GNWT and the City of Yellowknife's announcement that residents of Yellowknife, Dettah, Ndilo, and the Ingraham Trail can return on September 6th, questions popped up regarding the status of evacuees forced to leave by plane. 

According to the GNWT, registration for Yellowknife re-entry flights is available online and over the phone. 

Flights are scheduled to depart as early as Wednesday, and continue for five days pending the lift of evacuation orders. 

"This is an exciting step in having our Dettah, Ndilǫ, Yellowknife and Ingraham Trail residents return home safely," Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Shane Thompson says. 

The GNWT says flight hubs across Alberta are currently being identified and will be finalized based on need. Evacuees currently in Whitehorse or Winnipeg can also pre-register beginning today. 

Evacuees from the South Slave are asked to remain where they are, and not travel to Yellowknife as the city will have limited services as is. 

Residents are encouraged to pre-register on the GNWT's Yellowknife Re-entry Flights page. 

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