Facing “the beast”: Canadians rally to help Fort McMurray

It’s been nicknamed “the beast.”  The horrible wildfire has destroyed 80% of the city of Fort McMurray, Alberta. By last Saturday, the big blaze had led to the evacuation of the city of nearly 90,000 people, oil industry camps in the surrounding region, and a province-wide state of emergency in Alberta. Officials were saying the size of the fire could continue to grow as it headed east toward Saskatchewan.

Fort McMurray is the hub of the oilsands, that place where crude oil is extracted from bitumen mined from the earth. When oil prices were high until just over a year ago, the city was a frontier boomtown.  People from all over Canada—especially from economically depressed areas on the east coast packed up and went to “Fort Mac” to work. In Canada, if you haven’t worked in Fort McMurray yourself, chances are you know someone who has. I know two guys from my hometown in southwestern Ontario who put in time working there. In this tragic, sad disaster, it doesn’t matter what we think of the oilsands, oil trains, or pipelines. The right thing to do is support those affected by the fire, any way we can.

Photos and video footage out of Fort McMurray showed scenes that look more like nuclear weapons were used on the city. Almost equally dramatic were the images of slow moving convoys of vehicles leaving on the only highway that connects the city with the rest of Alberta. Firefighters, police officers, and paramedics have been nothing short of exemplary. These are people who often get called heroes in society, and they’re more than deserving of that title in Fort McMurray. Alberta’s various government departments have been mobilized into action too. My friend Peter Schalk works at the head office of the Department of Human Services in Edmonton. The agency looks after social services for Alberta. Since May 3, he’s been deployed to fire duty, part of the planning team responsible for coordinating emergency social services to people and communities affected by the fire, and organizing support for municipal governments and aid organizations. For most of the past week, he’s been working to ensure people are safely airlifted out or placed in convoys from the oilfield camps north of Fort McMurray and resettled in emergency shelters in communities south of there.

Peter said that for those who want to help, the best thing is to send money, explaining that managing donations of food and goods has been “an absolute nightmare.” Money allows disaster response managers to better decide what resources are required and where they are most needed. The Canadian Red Cross, which is on the scene assisting displaced people, has launched a special fundraising campaign. The Canadian government is matching each donation to the Red Cross dollar-for-dollar until May 31. Several other aid and religious organizations are also raising money.  Businesses are also taking part in the effort. A couple of supermarket chains are inviting customers to donate to the Red Cross at the checkout. The cashier then adds the amount to the customer’s bill.

While the wildfire has caused terrible havoc in Alberta, the situation is precarious in the east, too. The wildfire hazard has been high lately in western Quebec. Several towns in eastern Ontario have banned outdoor burning too. These warnings and bans are similar to the state-wide burning ban that has been issued in New York. The reason for these is unusually dry weather. There just weren’t enough April showers.

In a tough situation, Canadians always come together. We’re a big country spread over thousands of miles.  Many of us will only ever see Fort McMurray on the news, but we feel the fear, shock, and sadness of its residents right now. Through our donations, kind words, and prayers, the worst situation brings out the best in people.

Tags: Alberta, canada, disaster relief, Fort McMurray, Ontario, Quebec, wildfire