On September 17 2023, GLRA sent a letter to the SLRD Board of Directors, Ministry of Environment and MLA Jackie Tegart expressing our concern about the Wildfire Debris Management process outlined in the SLRD’s September 15 Community Update. On behalf of GLRA members, we urged the SLRD to reconsider the prescribed approach and take a leadership role in coordinating the cleanup to support private property owners dealing with their losses and safeguard our drinking water source.

On September 25 2023, we received a response from Jen Ford, Chair SLRD where she offered links to a few resources at SLRD and stated that the SLRD is “committed to exploring all possible options to support our community”, and that they are “actively exploring alternative funding options that may potentially provide assistance in this matter”. Otherwise there were no specifics provided, beyond possible funding options.

On September 27 2023, GLRA responded to Ms. Ford urging them to reconsider their position and provide the support and leadership we need to move forward. We also enquired about the status of the Recovery Manager and their role in the overall recovery.

On October 4th 2023, the GLRA received a response from MLA Jackie Tegart’s office informing us that she has written to the Ministers of Emergency Management and the Environment requesting that the province allocate the necessary resources to assist or fund the cleanup efforts at Gun Lake including assisting with: Environmental Preservation, Community Welfare, Drinking Water Quality and Preserving Local Economies.

Definitely a step in the right direction and we hope that a response will be coming soon.