Fort McMurray's next 6 priorities in wildfire recovery
Nov. 3 marks 6 months since the Fort McMurray wildfire. What are the region’s priorities as it rebuilds?
The May wildfire that ripped through Fort McMurray was so devastating it not only razed communities but also hit the Canadian economy.
The fire devoured more than 2,400 homes and forced more than 88,000 people to leave for over a month. The wildfire, which is still smoldering but no longer a risk, raged uncontrollably for six weeks and consumed 589,552 hectares of forest — an area larger than Prince Edward Island.
Six months later, Fort McMurray's municipal and community leaders are reflecting on what the region's priorities should be over the next six months of recovery.
1) Skilled labourers wanted
The focus for mayor Melissa Blake will be getting more Fort McMurray owners back into their homes. With the municipality lifting building restrictions and approving more development permits, Blake said Fort McMurray needs to attract as many builders as possible.
"It's probably going to be tough for people to get what they need when they need it," Blake said.
"The encouragement is for people to find the solutions well in advance. Lock down quality contractors."
The Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce agrees the race to rebuild will require a national effort but it doesn't think the northern community will have a problem attracting labourers.
"If there's an opportunity the builders will come," chamber president Bryce Kumka said.
2) Restarting Fort McMurray economy
After rebuilding energy needs to be directed towards to giving the region an economic jolt, Kumka said.
Before the wildfire, falling crude prices crippled Canada's oil sands capital.
There's little doubt rebuilding will reverse some of Fort McMurray's economic fortunes. But the key, Fort McMurray's chamber president said, is making sure that small and medium size businesses aren't left out.
Small businesses have said they're barely staying open after incurring significant losses due to damage and closure during the wildfire. Many could barely wait for promised Red Cross and municipal aid that's expected in November.
"It's about getting those businesses to survive until the reconstruction efforts start," Kumka said.
3) Better donation distribution
Over the next six months of recovery, local groups are calling for a one-stop distribution centre and a better system to manage the information of those accessing aid.
The province hired a Seventh Day Adventist relief agency to run Alberta's Wildfire Donation's Centre and manage the flood of donations that came in during the immediate days of the wildfire. But the closure of the Edmonton warehouse on Nov. 30 will leave a gap.
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"People are moving out of hotel rooms and friends' homes and into tiny apartments, maybe a trailer, that has nothing," said Diane Shannon, the executive director of Fort McMurray's United Way.
Shannon and other social groups have also prioritized the need for one system that collects and shares information such as clients' names and the reasons they are in need.
"We're able to minimize their relived trauma by only having them do an intake in one agency," said Arianna Johnson, the executive director of the Wood Buffalo food bank.
4) Mental health and wellness supports
Those having a difficult time coping after the wildfire need to be continually reminded of the services that are available, groups said.
Shannon, of the United Way, said she's worried Fort McMurray will be seeing elevated addictions levels.
"It's been a tough couple of months and even year for our community," she said.
"It also escalates to using drugs and alcohol at inappropriate levels. That's a big issue."
Fort McMurray's fire chief has similar fears, as he told a group of reporters Monday at a wildfire award ceremony in Edmonton.
"Certainly some people are struggling. We've done everything we can for them so far," Darby Allen said.
"This isn't something that's going to get fixed in five minutes. This is a medium- and long-term plan to make sure people are mentally happy for the rest of their lives."
5) Wildfire response lessons
Another focus for some in Fort McMurray is figuring out what went well, and what didn't, with the wildfire response.
For Johnson, of the food bank, that means examining and coming up with disaster plans at the provincial level and down to the family level.
Johnson joked she didn't even have a "go bag" when she left Fort McMurray during the wildfire.
"I ended up evacuating with nothing but shirts," Johnson said.
"It's not a question of if another natural disaster will happen. It's when."
The province is currently conducting a review into the support it provided the municipality, its emergency services for evacuees, and the timing of the evacuation call.
Johnson said this review is critical but it's also important the municipality conduct a similar examination of its actions.
Wood Buffalo Regional Municipality said it has no plans to conduct a similar review.
6) Another way out
The Wood Buffalo municipality is calling for the federal and provincial governments to prioritize the construction of more exit roads and a second highway in and out of Fort McMurray that would provide another evacuation route.
Currently, several communities have one road in and out, and the region relies solely on Highway 63.
During the wildfire evacuation, cars were stuck along these routes for hours, encircled by forests that exploded into flames in an apocalyptic scene.
The municipality argues that if it, other levels of government and businesses help fund the $1.5 billion roadway, Fort McMurray would be a safer place should another disaster strike.
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"Canadians were so good to us when we left the region. I know they've seen the images and they don't want to see us drive through flames again," Coun. Sheldon Germain said.
He said a second road would also open access to future oil sands projects and new economic opportunities for Fort McMurray.