700 people in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., displaced by flood, mayor says

An estimated 700 people have been displaced from their homes in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., the mayor said Monday morning, after the community of about 1,200 was flooded during seasonal ice breakup over the weekend.

“There’s basically people all over the place,” Mayor Sean Whelly told CBC Radio’s The Trailbreaker.

“They’re down the highway, some of them with motorhomes, camps — setting up a bush camp, and things like that.” 

He said other residents have gone to stay with relatives or friends.

A final evacuation order