Hope remains as residents return to Enterprise, N.W.T., to assess wildfire damage

Families are slowlyreturning to the hamlet of Enterprise, N.W.T. which wasnearlywiped out from wildfire last month to see what's left after the territory's lastevacuation orderwas lifted last Friday.

There are a few homes still standing in the community located south of Yellowknife, including one belonging to Pat and Evelyn Coleman.

"You do not realize how bad it is until you drive into the community," said Evelyn, who says she was emotional during the trip as they came in.

The Colemanshavehad a hard year.Theylived in Enterprise for two decadesbefore moving to nearby Paradise Gardens in the '90s. Then, last summer, their home there was destroyed in the flood. They decided to rebuild in Enterprise. Their new home arrived in the community just six weeks before the fire tore through in August.

"You almost feel remorse orguilt because your home is here and you're intact and then you look at the neighbourhood around you and you see what everybody has lost," said Evelyn.

A FireSmart community

Nine homes and a few other buildings survived the fire that hit Enterprise last month, while nearly 90 per cent of the community was lost.

Blair Porter isthe community's senior administrative officer whohappened to bethe hamlet's fire chief a few years ago when it took some initiativestoFireSmartparts of the community. That meantcutting a firebreak south of the communityand clearing brush. Hesays the work paid off, including some fire-proof material on their buildings that helped keep the hamlet's infrastructure intact.

"We decided to be proactive, instead of reactive ...so we had a bit of a firebreak here but we decidedto expand it togive especially these houses on the south end of town a fighting chance," said Porter, adding it also allowed crews and equipment better access to fight the flames.

"This ended up, I believe,saving this end of town ... I honestly believe if we didn't dothis work we have done now we wouldn't have a community to come back to."

But not everyone was that lucky. Paul Flamand and his three children lost their home to the fire. On Sunday, he brought themto see what was left of their property mainly ashes, rubble, and sheets of twisted metal.

"Seven boats, nine skidoos, a shop full of stuff, tools, my office, my other shop over here, my house, vehicles, everything,my Bobcat. I lost everything 22 years of collecting," he said, adding he plans to have a temporary home for the winter as he re-establisheshis plumbing business.

But there was some good news. Flamandcame prepared to dig around in the remains, hoping to find aring that once belonged to his grandfather and was happily surprised when he unearthed it from the ashes.

Those who stayed to fight

Mike Kimball, his wifeLynn and his brother Alan returned to Enterprise the night of the evacuation to try and save what they could. They've been in the community since that day,putting out hotspots and helping wherever they can.

"It was all just citizens, no government or nothing," Kimball told CBC's The Trailbreaker over the weekend. They said they broke intothe fire hall to borrow firefighting equipment.

"We should have had forestry fire crews."

Government officials said the decision to leave Enterprise last month was because it was too dangerous, but not all residents agreed.

"I didn't think I was going to die," Kimball said."And once we saved ourhouse, we had to save our neighbour's house because if his house burned down my house would burn down."

They ended up spraying down nine properties and a couple of businesses.

A handful of other people joined them, and others helped cook them food.

Now the hope isto rebuild a better community.

But Enterprise Mayor Michael StAmour has been experiencing some issues accessing funds for residents looking to buy new clothes for winter and temporary housing, like modular homes. Theplan was to dip into their community surplus, St Amour said they weretold an administrator from the territory'sDepartment of Municipal and Community Affairs(MACA) would come and take over their community if that happened.

"We are not allowed, according to MACA," StAmour said. "I was really upset. I had to take a walk. And now I am trying to figure out what our next steps are."

Many left to return

Not everyone wasable to return home to Enterprise over the weekend. That's the case for 12-year-old Tanaili Kotchea Cadieuxwho is starting Grade 7 at a brand new school in Peace River, Alta., where her family fled to after losing their home.

"Honestly I really wanted just to go to school to get my mind off things that happened," she said.

But the future of where she and her family will end up is uncertain as her parents are looking for work.

"Maybe this is a chance for us to start new, just like a new book or something," she said.

Her grandmother, Winnie Cadieux,lost not only her home in last month's fire but also her well-known craft store, Winnie's.

"It was ash and twisted metal," said Winnie, although the trapper statue out front is still intact.

Winnie hasbeen living in Alberta for the last few weeks but has already seen the devastation and will be heading back north later this week to begin rebuilding.

Tammy Neal, who isnow staying inFort Providence, N.W.T., lived in Enterprise for more than 20 years. Shefound out they lost their home, and they're now having to deal with insurance.

"I think when you first hear about it and you don't see it ... you are still in shock and then you see the pictures and you start to feel a little angry and stressed out," said Neal.

She says they lost their son's ashes in the fire, and have somehope they can find them in the damage left.

"We found the vicinity of where they are so are going to go back with face masks," Nealsaid, adding there isn't much elsesalvageable.

She did find a fish-shaped fire pitthat she bought off a former employee, who has since passed on.

"This employee always had a big, big, big smile on his face.... So when I saw that little fish fireplace I just started to laugh.It made me happy because it reminded me of a reallyhappy person and happy time."