Support continues for NWT evacuees across Alberta

Alberta has been the fortress for evacuees fleeing wildfires in the Northwest Territories, encroaching on the capital of Yellowknife.

Karen Wilford and her husband Peter fled from Yellowknife Thursday morning and arrived in Calgary on Friday night.

They are staying at the Glenmore Inn and Convention centre with several other evacuees.

“Everyone in Alberta, in fact has been very welcoming and supportive and offering of thoughts and prayers and positivity,” said Wilford.

Wilford attended service at Hillhurst United Church on Sunday morning, where evacuees are also being welcomed.

Karen Wilford and her husband Peter fled from Yellowknife Thursday morning and arrived in Calgary on Friday night.

She feels a sense of community and is unsure what she will return home to.

“Enterprise is a community that was razed by fire last Sunday and starting about 40 kilometers outside of that city limit is just an absolute apocalyptic landscape of ash on the ground and power lines downed and tree stumps that are blackened and still smoking,” said Wilford.

Alberta has been the fortress for evacuees fleeing wildfires in the Northwest Territories, encroaching on the capital of Yellowknife.

“It was absolutely frightening to see that and the smoke is rising on both sides of the highway. Very, very frightening. We're very, very glad to be out and to be safe, but we don't know what's waiting for us when we get back or even when we get back.”

The church’s executive director Anne Yates-Laberge says the church has started an initiative to help evacuees that need extra support.

“In the last 24 hours we've had 50 congregants and community members come forward and offer their homes,” said Yates-Laberge.

“They've also offered different gift certificates and transportation and money.”

SAVING ANIMALS

Sienna Kellar, a former Yellowknifer who learned to ride at the city’s North Country Stables, now lives near Innisfail.

She owns her own barn, North Hart Equestrian.

When she heard wildfire was threatening her former home, her friends told her they needed help to get horses, donkeys and goats out of the area.

Kellar managed to save 22 horses, two donkeys and two minis along with five goats.

She says it wasn’t possible without her husband and father-in-law, along with friends from across the province.

“Think of all these people trying to load their entire lives into their cars, dogs, cats whatever you have and you’re going to lose all of it in a blink of an eye,” she said.

"It’s going to take me 18 hours to get up there I know they don’t have the trailer power to get everyone out of there, so lets just load up and go before this even starts.”

Sienna Kellar has relocated to Innisfail

She says round trip it was 50 hours, arriving home from Friday.

She says many of the horses are in Peace River but the stallions are at her ranch near Innisfail.

“If that barn burns down, there really is not much for those horses to go home to, so you’re kind of in a holding pattern right now trying to figure out what the next steps are,” said Kellar.

AIR QUALITY STATEMENT

Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued an air quality statement for Calgary due to wildfire smoke.

“Smoke is causing locally poor air quality and reduced visibility,” read a statement.

“Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health even at low concentrations.”

Officials are asking residents to be cautious and reduce exposure.