NORTHWEST TERRITORIES (June 29, 2026) – The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) wishes to advise the public that effective immediately and until further notice, the Fort Simpson Health Centre is closed as the community evacuation continues.

Emergency medical service for firefighting personnel and official emergency responders only remains available at the health centre through the NTHSSA’s Wildfire Paramedic team. This Paramedic team will remain on-site as long as conditions permit, as determined by the local Incident Command. Emergency response personnel in the community will be able to reach the paramedics by radio in the event of any communication outages.

NTHSSA staff are on-site to offer navigation services at the designated reception centre for Fort Simpson evacuees at the Yellowknife Multiplex.

For Primary Care services in Yellowknife, please visit Health Services in the Yellowknife Region. In an emergency, call 911 or present to the Emergency Department at Stanton Territorial Hospital at 548 Byrne Road. For general health advice, residents are encouraged to call 811 to speak with a Registered Nurse.

The Wrigley Health Cabin is now closed until further notice following the Evacuation Order issued for the community earlier today. Residents have been ordered to evacuate to Fort Smith, where a designated reception centre has been established at the Fort Smith Centennial Arena on Rupert Avenue. NTHSSA staff will be at the reception centre this evening to assist Home Care clients as they arrive.

For those evacuating from Wrigley in need of Primary Care services, please call or present to the Fort Smith Health Centre. In an emergency, call 911 or present to the Health Centre at 41 Breynat Street.

Residents of Jean Marie River, Nahanni Butte, and Sambaa K'e can continue to call the Fort Simpson Health Centre's on-call number at 867-695-3232 to connect with a Community Health Nurse for virtual support from Yellowknife. A virtual Nurse Practitioner will also continue providing scheduled care services for residents of these communities during regular business hours.

Any evacuees with upcoming medical travel, or those who are currently outside of their evacuated community on medical travel, can call 867-669-4115 to discuss any potential changes to their arrangements. Wrigley residents in need of Child and Family Services can call 867-621-1122.

The NTHSSA recognizes that emergencies like evacuations can be distressing, but you are not alone. If you have concerns about stress, mood, sleep, or if you or a family member are struggling, support is available. Visit NTHSSA Mental Health Resources and Supports for eMental Health resources, crisis line information, and details on available services.

For the most up-to-date information related to public safety, including access to notices, alerts, and orders, please refer to the Government of the Northwest Territories’ Public Safety page.

Further service level updates for Fort Simpson and Wrigley will be provided as the evacuations progress.

Background

• Fort Simpson Service Level Update Following Evacuation Order (June 28, 2026)

For media requests, please contact:

NTHSSA Communications
nthssacomms@gov.nt.ca