Latest news with #WoodBuffalo
CBC
16-07-2025
- General
- CBC
Park commemorating 2016 wildfire opens in Fort McMurray
Fort McMurray has unveiled a new park to commemorate the resilience of the community after the 2016 wildfire. The park, called Reflections Lookout, as well as a playground named after Emily Ryan, is located in the northeast corner of Beacon Hill. Emily Ryan, 15, died in head-on collision during the mass evacuation of the city and surrounding communities in 2016. Aaron Hodgson, 19, her stepmother's nephew, was also killed in the crash. Ryan's father Cranley served as a deputy chief with the Wood Buffalo fire department during that time. "To me, it's a sacred space that commemorates what was lost," he said during the opening ceremony. He thanked the community for standing by their family. "Many of us suffered a loss during that evacuation. There were houses, belongings, material things, pets — all important," he said. "I lost a daughter in the middle of the confusion and fear. It is the deepest pain that a parent can know. But the community refused to let us grieve alone." He called the park "one meaningful symbol" of the rebuilding. "It's our sincere hope that this location can serve as a lasting, fitting and appropriate memory for you, in Emily's honour," said Wood Buffalo's mayor Sandy Bowman. "We also hope we can provide the same for all those that were impacted by what happened on May 3, 2016." The park incorporates a trail featuring the words of different community members, including first responders. "At the end of the trail, you'll find a lookout — a peaceful place with beautiful views of Fort McMurray," said Keith Smith, director of public works with the municipality of Wood Buffalo. "Reflection Lookout is much more than just a park," he said. "It's a place that grows with the community and supports healing." Acting fire chief Rob van Hecke said the "park stands as a symbol of the balance we've worked hard to achieve." While it is a space for reflection, healing and remembrance, he said, it's also a space "that belongs to everyone — a welcoming place to connect, to find calm, to draw strength, and to move forward." He hopes that it "will inspire comfort, hope and renewed resilience" in the community. Keith Smith, Director Of Public Works at Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, echoed that sentiment. "I believe it's vitally important for the community as a place to reflect. But I see more as a place to connect and really to look ahead. What does Fort McMurray have? We're here. We're moving forward."
CBC
05-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
New youth mental health centre planned for Fort McMurray
A youth mental health facility planned for construction in Fort McMurray hopes to provide services that many families in the community are currently forced to travel hundreds of kilometres to access. Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo councillors unanimously approved zoning for a new youth mental health facility in Fort McMurray's Gateway district last week. It will be operated by CASA Mental Health, a non-profit organization headquartered in Edmonton. "I think it's a great program," said Wood Buffalo's mayor Sandy Bowman. Other council members said the facility is sorely needed. "I've had a first-hand experience of a very close and dear young guy that had this challenge," said Coun. Funky Banjoko, "And I can attest to the fact that the family was tired of travelling to Edmonton to attend to him." The centre is planned to open in the fall of 2027, and will provide mental health services for youth aged 12 to 18. The new facility will include a day program for structured outpatient care, as well as a live-in treatment option. Once completed, it will have about 20 beds. Tiffany Bennett, whose 10-year-old son has complex mental health needs, told CBC this will be the first facility in Fort McMurray that will offer all, or at least most, of the services her son requires in one place. "A lot of times you're being sent to Edmonton because there isn't enough support here and then you're stuck struggling on like a two-year waiting list, sometimes even longer, depending on what your child needs," she said. "And this kind of opens up that barrier for us to be able to have an intervention here locally." She said the facility should reduce the need to travel to Edmonton for services. Facility likely to be in high demand Bennett is concerned that the facility might not be able to handle the demand. "With the overall growing population and with the high demand here in Fort McMurray, it's great they're going to be building that, but they may need more," she said. "And then, hopefully, they're open to expanding it based on what the community needs." Paula Colvin, director at CASA Mental Health, said they are aware of the demand the new facility will be facing. "I have no doubt we will face that," she said. "We have definitely made a decision that we're going to make sure we deliver the quality that these kids need. The quantity, we will manage the best we can," she said. "We know the need is high. We know that we can open our doors and deliver quality care to that many kids," Colvin said. Colvin said they may able to open up more spots in the future. "As we grow, and we hope community will see the value, then we'll be able to continue to fundraise and be able to support further spots for kids."
CBC
01-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Wildfires have forced 4,500 Albertans from home as of Sunday: AEMA
Social Sharing Several thousand Albertans are evacuated from their homes due to out-of-control wildfires, according to the Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA). As of 1 p.m. MT Sunday, 52 total wildfires are burning throughout the province, about half of which are deemed out of control, according to the Alberta Wildfire dashboard. Fires triggered eight evacuation orders combined for various communities, according to the Alberta government's website. According to a spokesperson for AEMA, which leads and oversees all emergency and disaster response, there were 4,500 wildfire evacuees provincewide as of Sunday morning. Multiple evacuation advisories have also been issued due to wildfires, warning people they have to be prepared to evacuate within a few hours' notice. Smoke causing poor air quality in northern Alberta Wildfire smoke triggered the national weather agency to issue air quality warning for northeastern Alberta Sunday morning. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued air quality statements for many northern parts of the province. But people living in the northeast quadrant, from the Wood Buffalo region south to the St. Paul area, are at an elevated risk. Multiple out-of-control wildfires are burning in that stretch of Alberta, including the group that makes up the Red Earth East complex and a large fire southeast of Conklin, a hamlet within the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo that's about 280 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. The complex forced the Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 to issue an evacuation order for people living in Red Earth Creek, a hamlet about 350 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. The ECCC warnings state smoke is causing "very poor" air quality and reduced visibility. It's possible some places may see conditions improved, but heavy smoke is expected through the weekend. The ECCC air quality health index, which measures how safe the air is to breathe, predicts high to very high risk air in northeastern Alberta communities, like Fort McMurray, through Sunday, but it is expected to improve Monday. In Cold Lake, however, a city about 240 kilometres northeast of Edmonton near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, the air quality is forecast to carry a high risk through Monday at least, the index suggests. The agency's warnings say people should limit their time outdoors, including rescheduling our cancelling sports and other events. It also says people should be wary of smoke inhalation symptoms, such as headaches, irritation in the eyes, nose or throat, and wheezing and chest pains.
CBC
22-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
The art of the burn: How controlled fires in northeastern Alberta help mitigate wildfire risk
In the Wood Buffalo region, both municipal and provincial authorities have been conducting controlled burns, so that old vegetation won't become fuel for the next big fire.
CBC
14-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Hunting down tourism opportunities in the heart of Alberta's oil country
In more than 30 years as an outfitter in northeastern Alberta, Charles Beauchamp has introduced hundreds of tourists to the beauty of the area, camping out in the boreal forest while hunting big game like moose, black bears and wolves. "I've never had a client go home without a bear. And about 90 per cent of them all get their two bears," said Beauchamp. His company, Birch Mountain Outfitters, brings about 20 clients, mostly Europeans, to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo each year. With the average client on a bear hunt paying about $5,000 US, Beauchamp said he believes his industry brings significant benefit to the region, including to the community of Fort McMurray, Alta., about 430 kilometres north of Edmonton. Wood Buffalo officials agree — they've identified the hunting, fishing and trapping industry as a way to grow tourism in the heart of oil country. "We have amazing hunting and fishing lodges, for example, and we have Indigenous experiences," said Lisa Sweet, interim CEO of Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo Economic Development and Tourism. "We have the ingredients for the recipe of what tourists across the world want to see." 'Bring a lot of people' to the area Beauchamp said he used to do as many as 65 clients each year. He chose to scale back, which allowed him to pay more attention to his clients while sending business to other outfitters in the region. "We bring a lot of people into the Fort McMurray area, not just me, all the other outfitters in the area," he said. "And we all use the hotels, the restaurants, the retail gets a lot of boost from this." Sweet said the outfitting sector in the Wood Buffalo region has room to grow further. "There are market opportunities. We definitely would love to work with existing facilities, or there could be facilities that are dormant right now. We would love to see those revitalized," she said. "If there's an entrepreneur out there that would like to start a tourism business, then we can help connect them to the right supports that are available to get their business started and to grow." Wildlife management Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen — who comes from an outfitting background — says the government wants the industry to be stable, balancing client demand and wildlife conservation. "We're focused on making sure that the species, the populations, are well-managed," he said. "When it comes to helping outfitters with their businesses, we don't have to do anything more than just managing the populations properly," he said. He said the number of animals allocated to the outfitting industry, which can be harvested by travelling hunters, is "very small." But, he added, "some of the species that they hunt are not necessarily utilized fully by resident hunters and by Indigenous populations — for instance, black bears." So, Loewen said, "It's good to have the travelling hunter coming in through the outfitting industry to help manage some of those species." Some outfitters in the Wood Buffalo region are also looking to expand their business beyond hunting. Beauchamp is "slowly moving away from the outfitting." He is thinking of passing the business to his son-in-law and focusing on eco-tourism offerings like aurora viewings, stargazing and wildlife photography. He said this side of his business is proving to be quite successful. "So I'm going to concentrate on that."
