Hundreds of evacuees from wildfires in Edson and Yellowhead County were received by Jasper’s emergency facilities and services over the weekend.

Fleeing several out-of-control wildfires that threatened their communities, more than 600 evacuees from the West Yellowhead region were registered at the emergency reception centre set up at the Jasper Activity Centre and another 1,000 who came through Jasper registered on their own, said the MOJ’s Director of Community Development, Christopher Read.

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“The level of respect, positivity and empathy put forward by volunteers, our staff and the business community, I can’t express high enough praise,” Read said.

Approximately 230 people from neighbouring communities arrived at the Jasper Activity Centre on Friday, May 5. About 250 more showed up on Saturday, and another 100 or so folks joined on Sunday, Read said. Evacuees needing assistance were provided with food, water, washroom and shower facilities, wifi and emergency overnight accommodation.

“They were at the end of their resources,” Read said. 

The reception centre hosted approximately 40 people overnight on Friday night; makeshift beds were set up in the Jasper Arena. Read said a local hotelier brought bedding to make the visitors’ stay more comfortable.

“By 11 p.m. we were prepared to host up to 75 people comfortably,” Read said.

Jasper National Park issued a free “good neighbour” pass for any evacuees passing through  the park gates. One loop at Whistlers Campground was set aside for evacuees at no charge and evacuees with livestock were able to park their trailers at Snaring Overflow Campground.

Parks Canada’s media officer said 90 sites at Whistlers were used on Saturday night and another 15 people—plus one trailer, with goats—set up at Snaring.

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The Jasper Activity Centre was established as an emergency reception centre, but it was also a hub of local generosity. One wholesale food supplier went through their storehouse inventory to help feed the hundreds of evacuees. Other businesses donated food; some local restaurants donated soup. As they did during the Chetamon Mountain wildfire, food service professional Glenda MacDowell and her dedicated staff put in a herculean shift to feed the hungry masses gathered at the Jasper Activity Centre.

“I think this community knows the strength of Glenda and her team but they once again were working as a well-oiled machine, full of caring,” Read said.

“Glenda The Great has that name for a reason,” Christopher Read said. MacDowell and her team’s caring efforts lifted a huge burden for many wildfire evacuees over the weekend. // Bob Covey

The facility’s welcoming response was informed in large part from the September 2022 wildfire on Chetamon Mountain that caused a prolonged power outage in Jasper. Read said plenty of lessons were applied to this past weekend’s reception.

“We realized it would have been better to have more volunteers available and to bring them in sooner,” he said. 

Since that incident, the town has trained more volunteers. The MOJ was therefore able to call on a much more robust list of helpers this time, Read said.

“We brought them in on day one and boy, what a gift those volunteers were,” he said.

Other gifts from local businesses included items such as raincoats, bathing suits, diapers, toothbrushes and baby formula. On Monday, a truck from the Métis Nation of Alberta brought in supplies to replenish much of what Jasper Community Outreach Services gave out over the weekend.

The Métis Nation of Alberta replenished emergency supplies after Jasper helped wildfire evacuees. // Supplied

Residents of Yellowhead Country and Edson were able to return to their communities on Monday.

Meanwhile, in light of the wildfires in the region, two local political candidates vying for the votes of West Yellowhead constituents suspended their campaigns on the weekend.

Fred Kreiner, who has been door knocking for the NDP since even before the writ was officially dropped on Monday, May 1, said on May 6 that his family and team members in Edson had been safely evacuated and that he appreciates all the work being done in West Yellowhead to accommodate evacuees.

“Supporting Albertans must be out number one focus,” Kreiner said.

NDP candidate Fred Kreiner, along with the UCP’s Martin Long, suspended campaign activities on the weekend in light of the emergency wildfire situation. // Bob Covey

The United Conservative Party’s incumbent candidate, Martin Long, also suspended his campaign on Saturday.

“Right now, my full attention is on supporting our community, not campaigning,” Long said. “I have spent the last week visiting the evacuation centres in Wildwood, Edson and Hinton. The kindness, generosity and community spirit I’ve witnessed in these centres is nothing short of incredible.”

Bob Covey // thejasperlocal@gmail.com