In the face of tragedy, people of this province have proven they have what it takes to take care of their own.
When the 7,000 residents of Slave Lake were forced to abandon their homes to escape the wildfire that was burning through their community, it meant they had to leave behind all of their possessions. The material possessions aren’t of the utmost concern, rather, it’s the cherished memories each resident forged in their home, and the photographs collected through the years, that will have the most impact on their lives.
A house is a house – it can be rebuilt. But, memories are priceless and their loss can devastate any person.
It took no time at all for Albertans to respond to the call for help. Thousand upon thousands of items have been donated to the Slave Lake evacuees. Family and Community Support Services continues to check in with the shelter in Westlock on a daily basis to determine just what the needs are of those who have called the community home since being evacuated.
A number of local business owners have gone out of their way to collect donations for that cause. It goes without saying that anything given to the families affected by the Slave Lake devastation will be truly appreciated.
The need was immediate, and people responded. However, we can’t forget that these people will continue to need our assistance into the future. So many of them lost everything they owned in this fire, and the financial requirement to replace it all would be overwhelming to anyone.
The real focus of the incident should be on the fact that every single resident escaped the flames unscathed. Emotionally, there will be scars that will be difficult to heal, but physically, everyone is relatively fine.
Marilyn and Martin Engler made it to Barrhead on May 15 with their children. They called the evacuation process a miracle, and they had nothing but admiration for the effort put in by their RCMP officers and volunteer firefighters. Many of these people had to answer the call of duty while their own homes burned in the background. They had to stay and fight the flames while their families were evacuated. They all truly deserve a great deal of recognition.
It can be said that any community can and should be better prepared to deal with an emergency like this. And, once the dust has settled, those in charge will likely sit down and critique the emergency response in Slave Lake. But, the fact of the matter is, everyone is safe and sound, and that’s all that matters.
