The ones who went before

"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it," said George Santayana. 

I hope we learn from history. Otherwise why teach it? I hope people are able to take away some positives from disasters and tragedies. 

We wanted people to learn about our Slave Lake story. That was one reason we wrote The Sky was on Fire:Slave Lake's Story of Disaster, Exodus and New Beginnings.  In fact, the reviewer at the St. Albert Gazette called it "a cautionary tale that all Albertans should read."

High Level is in my thoughts. I wonder if Alberta has learned anything from our Slave Lake story.

THEN When fires struck Slave Lake on May 15 of 2011, "fire season" had just begun. Water bombers had just arrived at our tanker base. It was a dreadfully dry year. There was speculation that we were not prepared.

NOW After the fire, Environment and Sustainable Resource Development made specific recommendations in 7 key areas in the Flat Top Complex review.  One was to advance start times for resources. Fire season now begins on March 1. Necessary supports are in place well before the snow melts and fire risk increases. 

THEN Communication was poor during the 2011 fire. There was no evacuation notice. People saw the fire in their back yards. Some were actually in their homes while they were on fire. Mandatory evacuation was called 5 hours after the fire swept through the town. In the days that followed, communication continued to be limited. Rumours on social media filled the vacuum created by the lack of official response.

NOW There are clearer lines of communication, especially in wildland urban interface areas. While wildland fires are unpredictable, and people had very short notice to leave the community, High Level Andy Fort Mac residents were told to evacuate.  Post-fire, the provincial government provided lengthy daily updates to the press, on its website and on social media as well as evening "town hall" phone in programmes.  Their comprehensive website provides a wealth of information for evacuees.  Slave Lake MLA Danielle Larivee was Minister of Municipal Affairs during the Fort Mac fire. She lived through the Slave Lake fires. I am sure she used that experience, all the things she remembered from those difficult times, to help those evacuees. Hopefully some of her wisdom was passed on to the current government.

THEN In High River after the 2013 floods, former MLA Danielle Smith had to beg for information from the government so she could relay it to her constituents. My own MLA was rarely heard from during the Slave Lake evacuation.

NOW In Fort McMurray, Wildrose opposition leader Brian Jean was one of the first on the ground. He been working with the provincial government every step of the way, appearing with them in press conferences and being part of the solution.

THEN Lesser Slave Lake Regional Fire Service fought a fire that is beyond the scope of any fire department of its size. They reacted almost by instinct, using concepts that are more frequently used in wildland fires to protect key buildings and infrastructure. In some cases they, alongside heavy equipment operators, created firebreaks by chopping down some buildings to save others and by bulldozing the middle of a mall. 30% of Slave Lake was destroyed by fire. It would have been more if these firefighters had not used the tactics that they did.
NOW Slave Lake fire crews were dispatched immediately to Fort Mac. Their unique knowledge was used by Fort Mac firefighters to save large portions of the city. They won't tell you more than that. Because urban firefighters are trained to save houses, they don't like to talk about the times when they didn't. But maybe, just maybe, their knowledge helped save the 85% of Fort Mac that remains standing today.

THEN Red Cross donations flooded in to Slave Lake. Yet a year after the fire, only 177 thousand of the 5.5 million went to direct support. A further 2 million went to community groups and programmes. The bulk of the money went to volunteer support and hiring and housing Red Cross employees. Those who requested direct aid were humiliated by having to beg for assistance which was then denied. Neither the federal or provincial government provided financial support to the Red Cross.
NOW  Almost immediately after the evacuation, the Red Cross announced its Fort McMurray disaster relief drive. That fund is now up to 67 million dollars. Both the federal and provincial government announced matching grants to the Red Cross so aid could go to individuals and families. Ten days after the fire started, the Red Cross announced it would provide $600 in direct aid to every evacuee. 

THEN In 2011, university students were told "we are here for you" but then were refused any financial help. 

NOW  The U of A announced a Disaster Relief Bursary.  And while Slave Lake and High River post secondary students were given no breaks in paying for their student loans, Alberta's Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt recently announced a six month reprieve for student loan repayments.

THEN Most people with homeowners or tenant's insurance have mandatory evacuation insurance.  My own insurer phoned me the the day after the fire to tell us we were covered and to come in and pick up a cheque.  Those without insurance had to rely on friends, family and total strangers. It was heartwarming to see communities large and small come together to assist. However, people can't sleep on cots in a temporary shelter forever. Those who lost their homes and had no insurance were in deep trouble with nowhere to turn.

NOW The Alberta government announced the Wildfire Evacuee Transitional Accommodation Benefit that will cover rent, damage deposit and utility connections for up to 90 days from the date of evacuation.

THEN A third of the homes in Slave Lake were destroyed by fire. Many shady contractors showed up to rebuild, causing costly delays and leaving homeowners with poorly constructed houses. They have been without recourse.
NOW The Alberta government established the New Home Warranty Programme in 2014.
 

THEN Slave Lake Homeowners begged for assistance from Mike Holmes of "Homes on Homes" but he wasn't interested. 

NOW Holmes has announced help for Fort McMurray.

THEN We Slave Lakers survived our ordeal and rebuilt our community on our own. Sure, we had moral and financial support from communities far and wide that was deeply appreciated. We had some help from the provincial government. But there weren't any people out there who had been through what we went through. We made mistakes along the way. But but we figured it out.
NOW The wisdom and knowledge of Slave Lake has been widely shared. From the "Lessons Learned" and "Wisdom Gained" and heartfelt wishes from Alberta Emergency Management, the Town of Slave Lake and MD 124, from the Facebook pages providing support, the people of Fort McMurray have people to talk to who can provide them with guidance and suggestions about their insurance, the issues their children will face, and more. 

The people of Fort McMurray are receiving the benefit of our disaster experience, whether they realize it or not. Governments and social agencies and regular folks are learning from the mistakes of the past.  Last week I was talking to a co-worker about how our school reacts to disasters. We provided free materials and instruction to Slave Lake evacuees and we are doing the same for Fort Mac. I speculated that the government was learning from the past.  He wasn't sure about that. 

I don't know if the Government of Alberta has learned a lot about how to manage a disaster but I do think that this new government has a better sense of people and their needs and that is why we are seeing the improvement that we are. They are turning people loose to do what actually needs to be done ...there seems to be a greater degree of "caringness" than there was before, and I don't think that is something you can plan for, it is either there or it isn't.

In the process of writing this, I found myself becoming a little angry. Three of my kids were in university in fall 2011. They could have used a break. I have friends that certainly could have benefited from some additional financial aid from the Red Cross. And everyone in my town would have loved more information and support from others who had gone before.
But anyone who experiences a disaster like a flood or a fire suffers.  

Why should I begrudge someone whose suffering might be alleviated because of lessons learned from our experiences?   A grade 6 kids submitted his story for our book. He wrote:

I lost everything in the fire, I lost my house, I lost my cats. I lost my gerbil. It was the worst weekend of my life. I feel bad for everyone, because if I just felt sorry for myself, I would not have learned anything from this experience. The fire taught all of us to be thankful for what we have.  

King Solomon's Seal blooming through the ashes. June 2011.

What not to say

I said some of these things a few years ago. It's too late to take them back. But not too late for others who might be dealing with those who have just been evacuated from Fort McMurray.

Don't say...

• Did you lose your house? People lost more than a house. They lost the place where they could close the door and just be themselves. They lost the life they used to live and their dreams of the future they planned on living  But everyone loses something in a disaster like this. Your community is never the same. You lose neighbours and friends. You lose a sense of security for yourself and your family.
• They're only things. The only people allowed to say that are those who experienced the loss. Our possessions are more than things. All the furniture and nicknacks and mementos and artwork and journals and books and photos. The things that were passed down from the previous generations. They are history. They are memories. People are allowed to grieve for them.
• At least no one died Okay, it's true. It's a miracle. We all know it. We all celebrate it. But by saying it we minimize the trauma people experienced. We may make people feel bad about feeling sorry for themselves even though they are entitled to do so.
• Insurance will pay for it Insurance comes with its own set of headaches. Imagine sitting in a room with someone you don't know for hours and possibly days listing every single possession you owned. Remembering everything you lost. Then fighting to get compensation.And forgetting to list things that you now won't be compensated for. All while still in a state of shock.
• You'll get a brand new house! These people mostly did not build the houses they lost. They did not choose to rebuild again. Now they are faced with a million decisions from finding a contractor who won't gouge them or go bankrupt mid-build or leave them with more problems than the old house, to choosing floor plans and appliances and paint colours and door pulls and furniture. All the while thinking of everything they no longer have to put in this new house.

So what should you say?  

"I'm so sorry."

"How can I help?"

Or just listen.

That is enough.

Take Courage, Fort Mac

What is courage?

Courage is the wildland firefighter who stands in swirling flames, fighting the fire. Courage is the last nurse making sure her patient is safely evacuated. Courage is the pilot who descends time after time to dump water on the flames. Courage is the cop who stands in wind and smoke and debris, directing people to safety. But courage too, is the neighbor who let you into the line of traffic so you could make your escape. Courage is the volunteer who came to rescue your dog. Courage is the unknown man who gave you his gas so you could drive away. Courage is driving past the flames, through the dark, without food or water, not knowing what awaits. Not knowing where your friends and family are. Courage is waking up tomorrow, not knowing if you have a home to return to.

Have courage, Fort Mac.

Because you will find courage comes from the smallest of things. It seems bleak now, possibly as bleak a time as you will ever know.  But you will find hope in the days and weeks that follow. You will find it in the homes of hundreds of people who open their doors to you. In the meals cooked by volunteers. In hugs from total strangers. In the companionship of those who cry beside you. In the new friends who will share your journey. 

Take courage.

We have been where you are. We know you have the strength to overcome.

Sincerely,

Slave Lake

Rebirth of a forest after the Chisholm Fire