Don Burnstick. Photo courtesy Facebook.
The threat of this summer’s wildfires may be gone but they’re not forgotten.
Groups like Prince Albert Grand Council are still recovering from the extra costs of helping evacuees.
This week Saskatoon Tribal Council and Saskatoon Police have partnered for a wildfire fundraiser that’s aptly named “Tanning Hides: a night of laughs and entertainment.”
With comedian Don Burnstick wielding the mic, northern leaders like Montreal Lake Chief Edward Henderson and Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson and will receive a Comedy Central-style roast.
“As aboriginal people it’s kind of part of our DNA to be able to focus in on ourselves and laugh at ourselves,” said the event’s creator Monica Goulet, an aboriginal relations consultant with SPS.
“What we’re looking forward to is the leaders who are getting their hides tanned, they’re going to have a chance to do a rebuttal to Don Burnstick so Don Burnstick’s going to get a little taste of his own medicine.”
There will be a serious moment to reflect on the summer’s events as well.
The northern wildfires hit Goulet harder than most of her peers. She’s originally from Cumberland House and lived in La Ronge for many years.
At the time of the mandatory evacuations, Goulet says she visited the Red Cross shelter at a Saskatoon soccer centre.
“They were just devastated by the impact of the fire. You know, they were displaced, they were relocated into a big city – some of them had never even been in Saskatoon,” she said. “After speaking to people I phoned my police chief and I said to the police chief, I said ‘I’m very concerned about the wellbeing of our people in the north’ I said, ‘because they’re going to have to rebuild.'”
After that, a committee was formed and the idea for “Tanning Hides” was born.
Sheryl Kimbley, special events coordinator with PAGC, says she had no idea about all the effort being put in until she visited one of the committee’s meetings last week.
“I think I was in a little bit of shock and I know that as soon as I walked out of the meeting I was texting my leadership and telling them ‘do you know what’s happening with the tribal council is coming through and saying they want to help us out?’ It’s not that I didn’t think that that kind of thing happened it’s just such a good thing to hear after such a long summer. Every employee with the Prince Albert Grand Council was overextended in terms of all the long hours that had to be put in,” Kimbley said.
PAGC will receive and distribute the proceeds from the night of entertainment. The event is scheduled for Thursday between 5 and 11 p.m. at Dakota Dunes Casino. Tickets are limited, but still available.
To purchase tickets, you can contact (306)-956-6100.