LAC LA BICHE - Just over a week since Lac La Biche began to see evacuees from the Fort McMurray floods that displaced upwards of 13,000 people, area hotels are seeing a reduction in people seeking safety and shelter.
On the morning of April 29, just a few hours after Lac La Biche County councillors were briefed on the influx of several dozen Fort McMurray residents evacuated due to flooding in the northern city, Lac La Biche County Mayor Omer Moghrabi told the Lac La Biche POST that his community was on standby for more.
By the end of the week, more than 200 displaced Fort McMurray residents were in the Lac La Biche community. By last Wednesday, just a few dozen remained.
"A lot have gone back, but I unfortunately think, some of those will come back once they see the condition of the homes they left, or they can't find hotel rooms still in Fort McMurray," said Moghrabi at the May 5 county council meeting.
Northern connection
The connection between Lac La Biche County, Fort McMurray and evacuation plans played out most recently in 2016 when a massive forest fire forced the evacuation of more than 90,000 people from in and around the city. Hundreds found shelter in the Lac La Biche region. At that time, an evacuation centre was created to help. This time around, says the mayor, there was no formal evacuation plan and there weren't plans to create any sort of emergency shelter.
The evacuees arrived as the banks of the Athabasca river overflowed into the townsite due to a 25-kilometre long ice jam. Many were evacuated to northern hotels, some found accommodations at oil and gas industry campsites north of Fort McMurray.
The mayor said evacuees who were also part of the 2016 fire have been part of a "double tragedy" and he was encouraged that the local community was welcoming — despite the precautions in place due to the global Coronavirus pandemic. At Tuesday's meeting, the mayor said many on council had fielded concerns from residents about the evacuees being in the community as the world was dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic.
"We heard the concerns of the borders being open to take in the evacuees — but that was not a request, that was an obligation," he said, previously using the terms "friends and neighbours" to describe the evacuees.
LAC LA BICHE MAYOR OMER MOGHRABI
Concerns
Opening the community to evacuees as the world copes with the effects of the COVID pandemic has been a talking point for the mayor, who says that health and well-being protocols currently in place and legislated by the province apply to all residents.
"We fully expect all residents, evacuees and guests to fully comply with Alberta Health Services guidelines and protocols," Moghrabi said during the height of the evacuation orders. "I know that the COVID-19 pandemic has a lot of stress and made us more fearful, but I'd like to remind county residents that how we respond in times of crisis is a measure of our character."
Lac La Biche County regional fire chief John Kokotilo went to Fort McMurray in the early days of the flooding and evacuation orders. He confirmed to the POST that where possible evacuees were screened before they left the northern community.
"No symptomatic individuals are being evacuated to any other municipality. If any, they will remain in RMWB," Kokotilo told the POST last Tuesday.
The duration of the stay for any remaining evacuees in the Lac La Biche community is not certain.
Some evacuees of the 2016 Fort McMurray fire remained in and around the community for months. The mayor anticipates a much shorter duration for the flooding evacuees.
Contacts for evacuees
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is asking evacuees to register even if they are staying in private accommodation. The municipality is also asking evacuees to register directly with the Canadian Red Cross by calling 1-800-863-6582 (between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. MT) in order to receive information on further assistance and support programs. Canada Post has suspended all mail delivery to Fort McMurray. Residents can visit the link or call 1-866-607-6301 for updates. Links can be found by clicking HERE.
Evacuation orders lifted
Over the course of the last week, evacuation orders for all neighbourhoods have been lifted The last order was lifted on Sunday night. Click here for details.
Flood watches remain in effect, however, for many areas across Northern Alberta. In Fort Vermilion in northwestern Alberta, boil water advisories are still in effect after the Peace River flooded its banks due to ice jams at the same time Fort McMurray was experiencing flooding.
* This article was updated May 7, 2020 at 11:59 to reflect incorrect headline wording from a previous story link
