Displaced residents from Slave Lake are now able to return home and pick up the pieces they were forced to leave behind.
Last Wednesday, Government of Alberta spokesperson Bob McManus spoke to the remaining evacuees at the Regional Multiplex and outlined the four phases of the return.
“The majority of critical infrastructure has been restored, enough to begin a phased return for Slave Lake residents,” said McManus to the sound of applause. “We’re hopeful that if all goes well, it (the return to Slave Lake) will happen over a very brief period of time.”
Phase one was a restoration of critical infrastructure to support such a return, a step that Government of Alberta spokesperson Robyn Cochrane said went very smoothly.
Phase two was the return of essential workers – protective, health and fire services, and governance – which was materializing at the time of the Wednesday notice.
The third phase was for owners of undamaged businesses and workers who travel elsewhere to perform their labour duties to return and retrieve business materials they had left behind.
The fourth and final phase, which commenced last Friday, allowed Slave Lake residents to re-enter the fire-ravaged community and begin the long road to total recovery.
“People who live north of the CN tracks, they’re leaving this morning,” said Cochrane last Friday morning, adding that those who live in the south will return later in the afternoon.
Grocery stores and the community hospital were set up and ready to be opened to the public on Thursday.
“There’s still going to be a lot of work for those folks when they get back,” said Cochrane. “Even people who still have their houses, there’ll be some damage and stuff that they’ll have to deal with.”
For those who no longer have a home to go to, the Alberta government continues to work on setting them up with more permanent accommodations. However, it will not be possible for all those displaced to be placed back in Slave Lake, as there just is not enough space within the town to hold everyone. The province is working to determine where those people will be situated.
“Residents with damaged or destroyed homes will continue to receive support and information from government agencies with regard to long-term arrangements,” said McManus during last Wednesday’s announcement.
Copies of the news release indicating that it was safe to return home were handed out to evacuees following the verbal broadcast, and for the first time in nearly two weeks, smiling faces filled the Multiplex.
