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As of 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, the Evacuation Order in effect for Yellowknife, Dettah and N’Dilo has been downgraded to an Evacuation Alert. This means residents can begin to return to the Yellowknife area and start settling back into their homes.

With this, the City of Yellowknife (the City) knows you have a lot of questions about returning home. We have compiled a number of them on our Welcome Home Webpage. Below are some of the main questions we’ve received. Please note: These dates are all subject to change based on various conditions like staff scheduling.

Waste Disposal: Garbage pick-up will continue starting September 7 until September 29 – there will be no organics pick-up during this time. Compost and organics pick-up will begin the week of October 2. After this, the regular bi-weekly rotating schedule will resume (garbage the week of October 9, organics the week of October 16, etc).

Water Services: For those on trucked water, full (normal) service delivery is expected as of September 7, 2023. Upon arriving home, if you are on trucked water, please ensure to only use the water sitting in your tank for cooking or bathing purposes. Since the water has remained stagnant, if your tank has not been recently cleaned, it could be unfit for other uses.

Solid Waste Facility: The Solid Waste Facility will be open Thursday, September 7, to Sunday, September 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. During this period, there will be a $0 tipping fee. The SWF will be closed Monday, September 11. As of September 12, the SWF will open for regular hours and regular fees will apply.

Please note: The $0 tipping fee will apply for residential waste caused due to the evacuation and food spoilage, etc. Large items, construction waste and other waste will not be accepted. The City is working on a new date for the Fall Amnesty Day where these items can be disposed of.

A Fire Ban will remain in effect for Yellowknife until further notice.

The City encourages residents to visit www.yellowknife.ca for the most up to date information on City services and reopening of facilities, programs and services. We thank you for your patience as we navigate reopening.