Thursday marked six months since the May 3 wildfire that forced the evacuation of our community and caused the destruction of 2,400 homes within nearly 2,000 structures.
With re-entry for some of the community beginning June 1 came the start of recovery, a process that has been measured at a local level by the removal of barriers to construction, the removal of restricted access for nearly all communities, the approval of demolition and rebuilding permits, and the availability of supports for families, individuals, charitable organizations, and small businesses.
In the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo there are currently no restrictions on rebuilding in any region or community and as of Friday evening at 5:30 all restrictions on accessing still-standing homes had been lifted.
On Thursday, the provincial government released a report on the recovery progress made so far in six months since the wildfire, titled Home Again: Recovery after the Wood Buffalo Wildfire.
Danielle Larivee, Minister of Municipal Affairs for Alberta, said it was an important time to check in with the community.
“Really, just to make sure that everybody in the community is aware that we have an ongoing commitment to share information and just being there for Fort McMurray and the region,” she said.
“I’m happy at this point with how things are going, you know it’s always a bit slow off to the start because everybody is still dealing with the fact the disaster happened. So, I know things in the community took a little while to get rolling but everybody got past their own personal experience and got that ball rolling and started really pushing things forward,” she said. “It seems like there’s more and more development permits every day and (I’m) looking forward to seeing all of that new building next time I’m there.”
Larivee said the milestone is an important one because it offers a chance for the community to reflect on what has changed in the months since the evacuation but she said she also has personal understanding of how much remains to be done in the community.
“Over the past six months, we have seen the incredible strength and resiliency of those impacted by this wildfire,” said Larivee. “Significant progress has been made in the region, but as someone who has been through this in my own hometown, I know that recovery takes years, not months. Our government has stood with and supported the people of Wood Buffalo since the start of this disaster and we will continue to do that as we see their recovery through.”
The report outlines the events leading up to the evacuation, the actions taken during the wildfire, and the work done to support the long-term recovery of the region around the five pillars identified by the Recovery Task Force.
These are: people, economy, reconstruction, environment and mitigation.
The report also points to work the Government of Alberta will undertake to better prepare for future disasters, including continuing to work with the federal government on changes to the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements and increased mitigation funding, exploring opportunities to build partnerships with the Canadian Red Cross for closer working relationships following a disaster.
“Communication is a challenge all the time and disasters make it so much more challenging. So, if there’s any way that we can figure out how to work better together, but, you know, I actually think the Red Cross did an exceptional job. I think we actually did a quite good job of ensuring that the people of Fort McMurray had an even better experience than that in Slave Lake,” she said. “It’s sad to think that it might happen again but if it does then we’ll make sure that it just gets better, every single time.”
Preparations for a better response in the future would also include reviewing the province’s recovery policies and programming to ensure Alberta’s emergency response system can be even stronger in the future.
A request for proposals was issued to select an appropriate contractor to conduct an independent review of the emergency response to the Wood Buffalo wildfire. Larivee said the RFP is now closed.
“That (review) is still outstanding and looking at what went well and where there’s areas of improvement so, I’m looking forward to seeing that,” she said. “I look forward to learning from it so we can ensure our emergency response system is stronger in the future.”
When that report is complete it will also be released by the province.
Executive Summary of the report:
“The Wood Buffalo wildfire was an event that affected tens of thousands of individuals, and was one of the most significant disasters in Alberta’s history. Our province – from first responders to everyday Albertans – immediately pulled together. Our collective efforts helped ensure the safe evacuation of more than 88,000 people, and ensured temporary accommodations and other necessities were available for displaced families. The wildfire response and the extraordinary efforts to address the needs of those forced from their homes demonstrated courage, strength, and the true spirit of Albertans and Canadians.
Fighting the wildfire, supporting the evacuation, and coordinating the re-entry was just the beginning. The Government of Alberta recognized that extraordinary provincial supports would be needed to help returning residents and their leadership with recovery and returning to a new normal for the region. Premier Rachel Notley created a Task Force to coordinate provincial recovery activities and to make quick decisions in support of the Wood Buffalo region’s recovery.
Through the Task Force, the Government of Alberta is focusing on providing assistance to the Wood Buffalo region to support five pillars of recovery: people, economy, reconstruction, environment, and mitigation. The province is also building relationships with and acting as a connector between the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Indigenous communities, the Canadian Red Cross, industry, and the federal government. These partners will continue to collaborate and support one another to help make the region home again.
The Government of Alberta is committed to ensuring the right resources are available to support the overall physical, mental and social well-being of Albertans. This includes mental health supports to all those affected by the wildfire.
Another integral recovery commitment is supporting businesses, many of which were already struggling prior to the wildfire. The Government of Alberta continues to work with the Canadian Red Cross to assist small businesses affected by the wildfire through grant programs to help with equipment, cleanup and property damage costs. The Government of Alberta is supporting safe and responsible rebuilding and is encouraging the involvement of local companies and workers for reconstruction in partnership with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Assistance will continue to be provided to ensure residents are equipped with the information they require around rebuilding, dealing with landlord and tenant issues, fraud prevention, and utility concerns.
As recovery work proceeds, the Government of Alberta will monitor long-term environmental impacts and take action to mitigate risks, if required. There will continue to be enhanced air, soil, and water monitoring to identify and track long-term impacts of the wildfire, including communities downstream from the impacted river systems, as well as any cumulative environmental effects.
Finally, the Government of Alberta is committed to investing in disaster reduction by supporting the mitigation of wildfire and other public safety risks. Reports have been commissioned to identify lessons learned out of the response and early recovery efforts and to review the province’s wildfire preparedness and response. Through this information, as well as through Alberta’s FireSmart program, disaster preparedness and flood mitigation activities, the Government of Alberta will seek to further reduce the risk of disasters and emergencies in the Wood Buffalo area and all Alberta communities.”
The full report is available online here.
