The people of Slave Lake got the royal treatment last week, with a short visit from the most famous couple in the world.
The couple, of course, was the one and only Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, newlyweds Will and Kate.
Their July 6 visit was one of many honeymoon stops made across Canada. But this one was particularly heartfelt.
Just over a month and a half after a wildfire devastated the town causing the evacuation of all 7,000 residents and destroying countless homes, the Royal couple’s visit seemed a bright spot in an otherwise dreary time.
They arrived by plane at about 11:30 a.m., and were quickly whisked away to an hour-long tour of the neighbourhoods affected by the fire.
After the tour they made their way to Northern Lakes College to meet with emergency responders and families whose homes had been destroyed. Their brief walk from their bus to the building brought great applause from the eager crowd.
RCMP Const. Leigh Drinkwater was on the front lines on May 15.
He helped evacuate the town and ended up losing his home in the blaze.
He was part of the contingent of emergency responders that had a chance to talk with Will and Kate.
He said they asked questions about what happened that day, what it was like, and what is happening now with the rebuilding effort.
The feeling of recognition Kate and Will brought with them was what really stood out to the constable, whose family is residing in Edmonton as he works in Slave Lake.
“There’s a lot of people that did a lot of great things that day (of the fire),” he said. “For the community as a whole, it’s nice to see people of their stature acknowledge what happened here. That will offer a lot of encouragement to people in town to see that their matters are still important.”
After the meeting, those in the crowd got what they had waited hours for, a glimpse of royalty.
For those early risers though, it was much more than a glimpse. After leaving the college, the couple took time to chat with as many as they could.
One of the lucky few, Slave Lake’s Kristin Miller, was surprised at how humble the Duke and Duchess were.
“It was surreal that they actually stood there and talked to you, not a shake-hands, kiss-babies type thing,” she said. “They’re normal people.”
Miller said she arrived at 6 a.m. to get the best spot. She even enticed Will with her pair of Welsh Corgis, Abby and Eddy, a perennial favourite of the prince’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Many others came from afar for the chance to rub elbows with royalty.
Elizabeth Libby and her mother Sylvia Libby took the three-hour journey from Sherwood Park.
“It’s just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she said.
Like many others, the Libbys did not get close enough to talk with the couple, even though they left in the wee hours of the morning. Elizabeth improvised after realizing her poor position. She made a quick trip to the local Canadian Tire for a stepladder, just high enough to snap a few photographs.
Athabascan Mandy Smith went with a few coworkers from the local Family and Community Services branch, one of the organizations critical to helping with evacuated residents. They met up with their counterparts in Slave Lake for the royal opportunity, and as a sort of team-building exercise.
“We as FCSS staff members went to support the people there,” she said. “This was an opportunity, and it will be a great memory for those from Slave Lake.”
After leaving Slave Lake, Will and Kate headed to Calgary to kick-off the Stampede, their final stop in their nine day national tour.
