B.C. communities welcome Albertan wildfire evacuees

The City of Prince George says it has welcomed over 100 evacuees fleeing wildfires since Monday, and it’s prepared to take in more. 

Acting Mayor Kyle Sampson told CityNews Tuesday that in the 24 hours prior, residents from the Dunster, McBride, Bowen Lakes, Barkerville, and Wells areas had come to Prince George seeking refuge.

Following an evacuation order in Jasper, Alta., late Monday, the City of Prince George says three buses full of people arrived overnight and individual vehicles continue to pull in.

The city says Prince George’s Kin 2 arena on Ospika Boulevard has opened as a rest and refreshment centre. Sampson says the support services his city can offer differ depending on the evacuees’ origins. 

“Within the province of B.C., we’re offering services for folks who are evacuated that include full ESS services. We’re going to help connect people in with lodging, to help connect people in with different social services and resources that are going to help them through their time of being displaced,” said Sampson.

“When it comes to the evacuees from Alberta, our city takes direction from the province when it comes to evacuation of this nature. We are a partner and we welcome people into our community, and our staff are prepared to do that, but we take that direction. So Alberta and B.C. have communicated and determined that it’s best for those evacuees to make their way back to their home province. So they’re making their way back to either Grand Prairie or Calgary.”

He says the city will still offer Alberta residents a place to rest and gather information “with the overall goal of getting people back to their provinces.”

Sampson says Prince George has not seen as many evacuees as its neighbouring town of Valemount, to the east on Highway 16. 

Valemount’s mayor, Owen Torgerson, says the town is at capacity after receiving “a few thousand” people.

He says Valemount can welcome evacuees for the short term, but Jasper-area residents are being asked to travel to Calgary or Grand Prairie.

Torgerson says his town’s “guests” started arriving after 10 p.m. Monday with little notice, given that the road through Mount Robson Provincial Park has limited cellphone service. The mayor says the town worked quickly to get more information about where evacuees could go. 

“Our accommodators quickly filled up. So local businesses, campgrounds, private home owners, acreages, put the offer out onto social media, [saying,] ‘If you need a place to stay, this is how you get a hold of me,’ etcetera,” said Torgerson. 

“The regional district, Fraser-Fort George, who operates the Canoe Valley Rec Centre, opened their doors to evacuees. So at least they had a temporary place to stay. But a lot of folks were, more or less, sleeping in their cars for the night until morning.”

The president of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 266, Pete Pearson, says his is one of the communities that opened their doors in Valemount.

“I made the decision to come and open our branch as a shelter for people to rest, charge phones, grab a coffee, and sleep for the night. So, you know, they started rolling in about 11:30 B.C. time last night, and we had about 30 people sleeping on the floor in the branch,” said Pearson Tuesday.

He says the first night was followed by a pancake breakfast Tuesday morning and that the branch has been “slammed” with hungry visitors all day. 

“I’m thinking we probably did — over 800 people came through the doors this morning.”

Pearson says he’s glad locals in Valemount have stepped up to help, adding most people would still be better served if they returned to Alberta or progressed to Prince George.

Sampson says his city is prepared to take even more evacuees, if needed.

“I feel confident in our team. They are well versed and well prepared in this. They’ve been communicating with the provincial government regularly and seeking direction each step of the way. So we are prepared to accept evacuees as needed. We’re waiting for that direction. If that scales up to a larger number, we’re prepared for that,” said Sampson.

“We want to be a good neighbour, and that stands true over the last number of years and still today. And so we are ready to welcome in need our support and help.”

As of Tuesday, Parks Canada says the entirety of Jasper National Park, is closed and will remain closed for at least the next two weeks.