'It's like a ghost town': Waskesiu businesses take hit after wildfire pre-emergency alert

A restaurant owner in Waskesiu, Sask., says wildfire smoke near Prince Albert National Park is causing confusion and panic, and hurting local businesses during their busiest time of year.

Erin Barber, who owns Happy Campers Bar and Grill in the lakeside resort community, said she supports public health advisories, but believes a recent emergency alert about smoke was misunderstood by many as a fire evacuation notice.

"There's no fire evacuation going on," Barber said. "So as far as we are all concerned, the media has created widespread panic and we are now losing out as businesses."

Parks Canada issued a wildfire pre-emergency alert on Sunday evening due to the Buhl Fire burning about 40 kilometres away from the Waskesiu townsite, located about 200 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. The alert warned of deteriorating air quality and visibility from smoke, and encouraged people with lung conditions, young children or elderly residents to consider leaving temporarily.

Barber said her restaurant has seen a sharp drop in business since the alert. Many visitors packed up and left the community Monday morning, even though there has been no official evacuation order and no immediate threat to the townsite, she said.

"It was busy. It was like a normal summer day," said Barber. "And now it's like a ghost town."

She said she understands why vulnerable people might choose to leave, but that public messaging should have been clearer.

"There will be an emergency alert that goes out that every single person will get if there's any risk to the townsite," Barber said. "That hasn't happened."

Farther up the road, the general manager of the Waskesiu Trading Company, a bakery and grocery store, said the smoke in Waskesiu is not as bad as people perceive.

"We're still actually able to just barely see across the lake there right now," Jason Carroll told CBC early Tuesday morning, lifting his phone to show what looked like a light fog in the air.

He said the community had "nice clear skies" Monday until smoke kicked in toward the afternoon, "but still not as bad as people would think."

The pre-emergency alert was a surprise to Carroll, who said conditions are much worse elsewhere. 

"I've talked to some people over the phone who are in Prince Albert," said Carroll. "The smoke is actually a lot worse there than what it is here."

While the business is still running as usual, it is a lot quieter than is typical on a day in July.