
Evacuated couple with newborn faces added stress as SPSA deals with ‘backlog’ of evacuees
Shannon Roberts and Cory Richie were happy to learn on Tuesday they will soon be headed home after navigating the wildfire evacuations with a newborn in tow.
When Roberts travelled to Prince Albert on May 12 to wait for the arrival of their son, Gemini, she had no idea their stay would be extended because of a wildfire that threatened the tri-communities. Her due date was May 22, but she was finally induced on June 2 – the day everyone was told to immediately evacuate the area.
“I thought I hope we don’t stay here too long and I was worried that the hotel would be no place for a newborn, but I guess we’re sort of managing it,” said Roberts, who, coincidentally, was pregnant with her first child during the 2015 wildfire evacuations.
After they were allowed to leave Prince Albert’s Victoria Hospital, the couple and their newborn were supported by Health Canada’s Non-Insured Health Benefits Program which provided them transportation, accommodations and meals at the Prince Albert Grand Council’s Spruce Lodge Boarding Home. It is a medically approved facility for First Nations clients who come to Prince Albert to access medical services.