Athabasca – With a swift call to action, the Athabasca community has opened its doors and its hearts to the evacuees of the fire that is devastating Slave Lake.
Athabasca Regional Multiplex manager of regional recreation services Rob Balay received a call from a Slave Lake official at approximately 8 p.m. Sunday night, notifying him of the evacuation and asking if the facility could be used to house the displaced.
After contacting Debbie Wood from Athabasca Family and Community Support Services and confirming that multiplex staff could be on hand, things shifted into high gear.
“At about 9:30 we got the call that yes, everybody was on the way,” said Wood, “and we’ve been going ever since.”
With people flooding into the complex beginning Sunday night and throughout Monday morning, volunteers have been an essential component to the success of the operation and they have come from a range of sources.
“It’s actually been a real mix,” explained Wood. “We did have some that regularly volunteer with us, we’ve had the churches … and there are even some people who staff here, staff from the schools and even people that saw it out in the media [and] came in.”
Local resident Travis Olson was one of the first volunteers on scene, arriving at the multiplex at 12:20 a.m. Monday to a scene of between 150 and 200 evacuees lined up at the front door, waiting to be registered.
“[Everyone’s] remarkably really calm,” said Olson, referring to how people seem to be coping with the devastating situation.
Donations have been plentiful since word got out about the evacuation, so much so that Wood is asking they be put on hold, at least for the time being.
“We’re not sure exactly what we have or what we need,” she said, explaining that county officials were at the time having a meeting to discuss the best course of action to take and that they would then have a better idea of what donations would be required moving forward.
“We’ve had calls from local businesses saying, ‘Just let us know what you need.’”
Several businesses within the community, including Buy-Low Foods, Canadian Tire and UFA, opened during Monday’s early-morning hours to provide vital services for evacuees.
Wood also pointed out the generosity of community residents.
“Pillows, blankets, baby items, food … we’ve had a little bit of everything brought in.”
Second Chance Animal Rescue Society (SCARS) has also set up at the multiplex, supplying the pets of evacuees with as much as they can.
“It’s been a real community effort.”
Communication has been an issue during the undertaking, as staff at the multiplex have been unable to provide any regular updates to the hundreds of displaced who have not had access to TV or radio media.
“County officials have been here helping part of the night,” said Wood, explaining the importance of the meeting county officials held at 9 a.m. Monday. “They’ve been very involved, so right now there hasn’t been a real flow of communication yet and that’s why they’re doing [the meeting] this morning.
“Our role strictly is the reception centre, so that’s where our concern has been with.”
Facilities for evacuees opened in Edmonton Monday and anyone who wished to be transferred to the city could do so.
Some have also been placed in Athabasca’s Pleasant Valley Lodge, while others can be found at or near the campsite along the town’s riverfront.
Reports have also surfaced that patients from hospitals in Slave Lake have been transferred to the Athabasca Healthcare Centre.
“You really have to feel for them,” lamented Wood. “They honestly don’t know if they have anything to go home to. People are just trying to get through and wondering where they go from here.”
Athabasca RCMP Const. T.J. Parker, who is also a volunteer firefighter, confirmed the local fire department is helping out.
“They sent a crew of three guys up last night to help,” he said, adding that a tanker accompanied the trio to Slave Lake on Sunday night and three more headed up yesterday morning to rotate the shifts.
Highway 2 southbound is the only road currently open in the Slave Lake area, forcing all its residents to journey through Athabasca.
