Siblings of stranded visitors return to Yellowknife
Teens relay stories told to them by their sisters when fires kept them in city for three days in 2014
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
When Justine Eddleston heard she would be going on a 4H group tour to Yellowknife, all the Albertan teen could think about was her sister.
Nathen Palsitt, left, and Justine Eddleston stand beside the kilometre signpost in front of the Northern Frontier Visitors Centre last Friday. The two teens returned to the centre two years after their sisters spent three nights there, stranded by
forest fires. - John McFadden/NNSL photo |
Two years ago, Eddleston's sibling was trapped in the city for three days when Highway 3 was closed due to forest fires. She stopped in at the visitor's centre last Friday and now has a better sense of what her sister went through and where she stayed for three nights.
Shealyn Eddleston was with a group of other 4H club members from across Alberta who sat in their bus on the side of Highway 3 for eight hours while forest fires closed Highway 3. They had been camping at Fred Henne Territorial Park but when they returned from the highway the park was full.
"They were almost in shock. They didn't know what to do. They were struck on the side of the road and they had no idea what was going to happen," Eddleston said. "They were scared. They didn't know how long they were going to be here and when the highway was going to reopen. She showed us pictures she took but she said they didn't do the situation justice. It was so smoky. She said they had ashes on them and that it was crazy."
It was when they returned to Yellowknife that Tracy Therrien, general manager of the visitors centre, offered the building's boardrooms for the students and chaperones to sleep in. Because the centre has a kitchenette and limited cooking supplies such as a barbecue, Therrien was able to make room for the group, saying at the time that it was the best she could do to make them feel welcome.
Eddleston said her sister thought it was cool they were back at the visitor's centre.
"I sent her a picture and said, 'Hey, remember this?' She was excited about it," Eddleston said. "I think it's really cool. This is the actual place my sister is always talking about it."
Nathen Palsitt also made the trip North this year. His sister Amanda was on that memorable excursion two years ago as well. He talked about how his sister said it was a trip she will never forget, not just because of the forest fires but because of how well they were treated once they were stranded in Yellowknife.
He also said it was pretty cool to see the visitors centre, his sister's home for three days when they could not get out of the city.
Like Eddleston, Palsitt said he had no reservations about travelling to Yellowknife, adding he had heard that the forest fire situation was nowhere near as bad as it was two years ago.
About 25 teens between 16 and 19-years old along with two chaperones and a bus driver made the trip from Alberta to Yellowknife this year. According to its website, 4H Canada is a not-for-profit organization that is focused on strong leadership for world-class positive youth development experiences in Canada.
