The Hamlet of Aklavik has declared a state of emergency as water levels breached the road to the dump and continue to rise.
The community declared the state of emergency late Saturday night morning and began evacuating its residents on Sunday morning to Inuvik.
On Twitter, Premier Caroline Cochrane said four planes had gone to the community to begin evacuating Elders and families with young children.
Aklavik Mayor Andrew Charlie told CBC that water levels have risen to over 16 meters.
The Town of Inuvik sent a notice advising its residents of the evacuees.
It said families will be staying at the Midnight Sun Complex, while some Elders will be at the Aurora College residences.
All Aklavik residents — regardless of where they are staying — must register at the Midnight Sun Complex. This includes those staying with Inuvik residents.
The notice also said the town is looking for donations, especially baby items like bassinets and cribs, diapers and wipes, bottles and formula, but no cloth items.
Anyone interested in donating should call Jackie Challis at 867-678-5398 before dropping off the items.
In a follow-up notice, Inuvik officials said 25 Elders had been evacuated on Friday and Saturday, while another 141 evacuees arrived on Sunday.
“While we are unsure as to the potential length of time evacuees will remain in our community, the Town of Inuvik remains committed to ensuring their well-being while in our care,” reads the notice.
Last updated May 31, 10 a.m.
