Thursday, August 15, 2024

A Welcoming Place to Stay

Local 501 members working at the Village of McBride offer safety and security to Jasper wildfire evacuees

Nestled along the edge of the Rocky Mountains in north-central BC, the small town of McBride (population: 600) has been a place of refuge for people displaced by the destructive Jasper wildfires.

Wildfires surged through Alberta this summer, culminating with an evacuation order for Jasper on July 22. Within hours, 20,000 visitors and 5,000 Jasperites fled the scene, with many heading to Kamloops or Calgary. As McBride is only 166 kilometres from Jasper, many made the long trek to the village. Normally, this trip can be done in under two hours, but the closure of BC-16 (the main highway artery) saw many evacuees clocking in around 12 hours to get to their destination.

Luckily for them, Local 501 members, who work at the Village of McBride, were there to welcome them.

“These people needed a place to rest,” says Karen Dubé, a Local 501 member employed as economic development officer for the Village of McBride.

The village worked with the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George to open a comfort centre at the Robson Valley Community Centre, staffed by the village and volunteer emergency social services personnel. Local churches and Elks and Royal Purple also opened their own spaces to house and feed evacuees and provide respite from the stressful situation. There, evacuees were fed and given shelter and respite from the stressful situation.

“It was such a traumatizing event for these folks,” says Karen. “Many of them were travelers—some from as far as Israel and the Netherlands—and they had to abandon their campsites, rental campers, and travel plans. We were able to provide them with a quiet place to look online, book new accommodations, and figure out their next steps.”

One-third of Jasper’s homes were destroyed, leaving the local Jasperites temporarily unmoored.

“Many community members also opened their doors to house folks overnight, keep their animals in their yards, and feed them,” says Karen.

For the Village of McBride, putting out the welcome mat was a no-brainer, as their community is also under threat of wildfires.

“It could easily happen to McBride, and we would have to rely on communities like Jasper to help us out,” says Karen. “Last May, we had a wildfire adjacent to the community, and we had to evacuate a portion of the village for two nights due to the risk. But that was just a couple days. We were very lucky.”

Due to its remote nature and modest population, small-town hospitality is a hallmark of McBride.

“What this event symbolizes is that sense of community and pitching in, ” says Karen. “You see this attitude everywhere but especially in a small community. Everyone pitched in and opened their doors. We had the local fire department stationed right when people drove into town as a sort of welcome reception. We were all just trying to be friendly and helpful to those experiencing distress and uncertainty.

“We were seeing people on one of the worst days of their lives and letting them know that they could hang out here and be safe, and we’ll make sure all their basic needs are taken care of. We’re a welcoming place to stay.”

Local 501 members Mikala Rollinson, Amanda Moore, Sherri Flynn, Karen Dubé

Local 501 members Clint Colins, Marty Kelly, Matt Slaney, Dave Barnett, Kyle Hutchison

A Welcoming Place to Stay

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