“We’re in for a rough day. It will wake up and it will come back.” – so said Darby Allen, the fire chief heading up the response to the wildfire attacking Fort McMurray earlier this month.
Since that dire warning, this monster of a fire has moved on from Fort Mac, threatening oil sands operations to the north and also crossing the border into Saskatchewan. At the time of writing this column, the wildfire was reported to have burned through 505,000 hectares. That’s about half the size of Jamaica, or seven times the size of Edmonton.
News reports tell us an estimated 2,400 buildings were destroyed and more than 80,000 evacuees fled their Fort McMurray homes. In an attempt at comparison, the devastating Slave Lake fire of 2011 saw 400 structures burned down in a community of about 6,000 people. This makes the Fort Mac fire a much bigger beast.
We also have thousands of oil sands workers on the move from fire-threatened camps as they comply with mandatory evacuation orders. I’m grateful to learn over 1,000 pets were recovered from the Fort Mac fire, and thanks to social media and volunteers, many have already been re-united with their human families.
Unfortunately, the outlook for wildlife in the path of the fire is pretty much a fatal conclusion.
The good news, if you could find a silver lining in this fire-breathing monster’s dark clouds of smoke, is that vegetation is expected to eventually rejuvenate and welcome back wildlife with nutrient-filled shoots and berries to eat. Of course, the process of such vegetative re-growth and wildlife repopulation will take place in stages, in the form of succession, over many years.
So, what of the recovery of Fort McMurray and the people who once called this northern gateway community to Alberta’s oil sands home? How long will it take? What will it look like when it’s done? Will everyone return? Will everyone stay?
My wish for the community of Fort McMurray is that it will rise from the ashes like the legendary firebird, the phoenix. Imagine Fort McMurray being more beautiful and more resilient than before. Imagine the city’s rebirth involving a new look, a new way of being and a new way of showing appreciation for the energy that fueled its growth in the first place. How exciting is that?
I know, I know. I bet you are thinking I’m getting ahead of things here. You are probably thinking the people of Fort Mac must first deal with the bare necessities of life, like having a working refrigerator to replace the one that, no doubt, was ruined due to rotting food thanks to power outages, having access to clean water to drink and being able to breathe smoke-free air.
Authorities are trying to figure out when people can return to Fort McMurray with these things in mind and it will be no small feat to deal with them given the extensive destruction.
An enormous amount of effort will be needed for all of the evacuees to move back home. But, there’s nothing like a great big vision to help struggling people keep going. Could it be possible that what Fort McMurray needs more than anything right now is a big vision?
Like a big vision to keep evacuees excited, despite all their losses and hardships. A dream to offer hope and encouragement when the going gets tough. Like an idea worthy of keeping people engaged in their recovery and enthusiastic about their future.
A lot can be done when people come together and dream big. Women won the right to vote and man landed on the Moon all from dreaming big. If doing things in a big way is old news to those whose livelihoods come from the oil sands, then dreaming big should be easy to do if you’re from Fort Mac. Fort McMurray, this is your chance to show the world how big you can dream!
Will you strengthen community ties and supports? Will you set an example in building green for other communities to follow? Will you choose renewable energy sources so we can conserve oil sands energy for the most important uses?
A vision big enough to ensure Fort McMurray will rise again from its ashes — now that’s in our best interest!
For more in your best interest, follow Sheelagh @sheesays or visit www.ideagarden.net
