'All of your memories ... gone': Jasper evacuees settle in Calgary as wildfire rages in their community
Nearly 500 evacuees from Jasper have arrived in Calgary with more expected as the wildfire in their community continues to burn out of control.
As of Thursday morning, 465 evacuees had registered at the city's evacuee reception centre at Shouldice Arena to receive hotel rooms, mental-health support and pet supplies.
The residents, workers and tourists from Jasper were forced out of the National Park as a wildfire encroached upon the townsite, and they've watched on the news and social media the videos and photos showing the destruction to large parts of the area.
"It's just been a rough stretch (these) last couple days and we're all just trying to come together as one and, you know, Jasper's a tight-knit community," said Rhett Fleming, who has lived in Jasper for five years.
"The people I know who have been in that community for 40, 50, 60 years, their lives are all there. And just seeing a lot of the footage from the morning and everything ... their houses are gone," he said.
Dominique McQueen arrived in Calgary with only the black duffle bag her roommate in Jasper was able to pack for her before everyone had to evacuate.
"It's not only my stuff that I care about. This is our community," she said through tears.
"It's our home and it's a small town, so we all know each other. We all like it. It's like a family there. So that's probably the hardest part of it all."
Another evacuee, Alice Varshavska, lived in Jasper for two years after fleeing the war in Ukraine.
She's now in Calgary, unsure of what she'll go back to in her adopted community.
"We flew from Ukraine (and) we cried out all of our tears and left all those things, life, everything behind. And it just happens again," she said.
"It's just hard to realize that all of your memories (are) just gone."
The city's evacuation reception centre will stay open for at least the next 48 hours, officials announced Thursday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7029099.1725707587!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Despite union protest, new hybrid work rules for federal employees kick in Monday
Public service unions will start the week with an early-morning rally opposing the policy. But despite the unions' 'summer of discontent' and an ongoing court challenge, the new rules will still kick in on Sept. 9.
Here's what jobs will survive in the AI boom: Statistics Canada estimates
A recent study by Statistics Canada sheds light on how different occupations may be affected by the AI boom, including those who might lose their jobs in a more automation-driven future.
N.S. RCMP apologizes to Black community for wide-ranging effects of street checks
The commander of the RCMP in Nova Scotia says the force is sorry for the wide-ranging harms the province's Black community suffered due to the Mounties' historic use of street checks.
Quebec to authorize advance requests for medical assistance in dying as of Oct. 30
Quebec will authorize advance requests for medical assistance in dying (MAID) without waiting for Ottawa to amend its Criminal Code.
'Extremely vigorous' wildfire activity in central B.C. prompts crews to back off for safety
The wildfire fight in central B.C. intensified Friday, according to officials.
Paul Anka says long-in-the-works Broadway musical is still on the horizon
After well over a decade of planning to adapt his life story into a stage musical, the 83-year-old Ottawa-born musician says the concept is finally getting traction.
Intruder breaks into Richmond daycare
It was a parent’s worst nightmare early Friday morning at a Richmond daycare, when an intruder broke into the centre.
Motorcyclist killed in collision with moose on Quebec highway
A motorcyclist was killed in a collision with a moose on Friday evening in Saint-Modeste, near Rivière-du-Loup in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec.
Ukraine mourns dead from major Russian strike, vows response with underground weapons production
Funeral services were held Saturday for victims of one of the deadliest Russian airstrikes since the war in Ukraine began, as Ukraine’s president vowed to increase domestic military production by creating underground weapons factories.