‘We don’t even have a phone’: Aging B.C. wildfire evacuees faced unique challenges
Seniors advocate Dan Levitt says the evacuation exposed digital gaps, mobility limits and smoke risks for older residents as one woman died while fleeing.
- On August 7, the Bald Range wildfire forced the evacuation of Summerland, British Columbia, a community of about 12,000 where approximately 32 per cent of residents are 65 and over.
- Summerland's senior population is 57 per cent higher than the rest of B.C., creating unique challenges during emergencies. B.C. Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt identified "digital inequity" and mobility barriers as major obstacles for older residents during wildfire evacuations.
- Evacuee David Hanna, 83, recalled leaving his walker behind during his urgent departure on August 7, while Helen Benallick, 87, noted she and her husband missed evacuation orders entirely because "we don't even have a phone."
- Levitt praised emergency personnel for a "job well done" during the evacuation, yet called for a "cross-ministerial seniors plan" in B.C. to integrate health and housing in emergency management for aging populations.
- Following the death of an 80-year-old woman during evacuation, Levitt urged residents to prepare in advance, stating, "Don't wait for that evacuation or to figure out how you're going to get out." Support networks remain critical for senior safety.
32 Articles
32 Articles
‘We Don’t Even Have a Phone’: Aging BC Wildfire Evacuees Faced Unique Challenges
Helen Benallick said she was fast asleep with her husband at their home in Summerland, B.C., last week when she was woken up by neighbours ringing her doorbell. They told the couple they needed to escape the Bald Range wildfire that was racing toward the community—Benallick, 87, and her husband had missed the evacuation orders that were issued to cellphones across the region overnight on Aug. 7. “We don’t even have a phone,” she said in an inter…
The Toronto Star
‘We don’t even have a phone’: Aging B.C. wildfire evacuees faced unique challenges
VANCOUVER - Helen Benallick said she was fast asleep with her husband at their home in Summerland, B.C., last week when she was woken up by neighbours ringing her doorbell.
Winnipeg Free Press
'We don't even have a phone': Aging B.C. wildfire evacuees faced unique challenges
VANCOUVER - Helen Benallick said she was fast asleep with her husband at their home in Summerland, B.C., last week when she was woken up by neighbours ringing her doorbell.
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