Alberta
Alberta wildfire situation: Update 3
As of Saturday afternoon, more than 24,000 individuals have been evacuated from communities throughout north and central Alberta.
Those evacuated due to wildfires are asked to register at local reception centres or at emergencyregistration.alberta.
Current situation
- Alberta has declared a provincial state of emergency. Visit Alberta.ca/emergency for information or call 310-4455.
- Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for the following areas. Please check alberta.ca/emergency or download the Alberta Emergency Alert mobile app for complete information:
- Parts of Brazeau County. Evacuees should register in Edmonton at the Expo Centre, Hall C, at 7515 118 Avenue.
- Parts of Northern Sunrise County.
- Parts of Mackenzie County. Evacuees should register at the High Level Rural Hall.
- The entire Town of Rainbow Lake. Evacuees should register in High Level at the High Level Arena, at 10101 105 Avenue.
- Fox Creek, Little Smoky and surrounding areas. Evacuees should register at the Allan and Jean Millar Centre, at 58 Sunset Boulevard in Whitecourt.
- Parts of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and the Municipal District of Greenview. Evacuees should register at Memorial Hall, 4808 50 Street in Valleyview.
- Parts of the County of Grande Prairie. Evacuees should register at the Bonnets Energy Centre, 10017 99 Avenue, Grande Prairie.
- Parts of Big Lakes County. Evacuees should register at Elks Rodeo Hall on Highway 749.
- Parts of Lac Ste Anne County. Evacuees should register at the Mayerthorpe Diamond Centre, at 4184 54 Street.
- Parts of Yellowhead County, including the Town of Edson.
- The communities of Whitefish River and Aitkameg. Evacuees should register at the Town of Slave Lake office, at 10 Main Street, Slave Lake.
- The Hamlet of Entwistle. Evacuees should register at Wabamun Jubilee Hall, at 5132 53 Avenue in Wabamun.
- Parkland County and the Hamlet of Entwistle. Evacuees should register at Wabamun Jubilee Hall at 5132 53 Avenue in Wabamun.
- Residents of the following areas should be prepared to evacuate on short notice:
- The Grovesdale area of the Municipal District of Greenview
- The area west of Beaverdam Provincial Recreation Area and east of the Bighorn Dam, including the hamlet of Nordegg.
- Parts of the County of Grande Prairie, including Pipestone Creek area.
- The town of High Prairie.
- Parts of Wetaskiwin County.
- Sixteen declared states of local emergency and two band council resolution include:
- Big Lakes County
- Brazeau County
- County of Grande Prairie
- Clear Hills County
- Clearwater County
- Drayton Valley
- Town of Edson
- MD of Fairview
- Town of High Prairie
- Northern Sunrise County
- East Prairie Metis Settlement
- Saddle Hills County
- Lac St. Anne County
- Parkland County
- Rainbow Lake
- Yellowhead County
- The Little Red River Cree Nation (Fox Lake) has declared a band council resolution
- Whitefish Lake First Nation has declared a band council resolution
Information for evacuees
- Evacuees should register at the reception centre identified for their community so staff can quickly assist them and connect them with the resources they need.
- Evacuees with special needs who are unable to stay in an evacuation centre can request emergency financial assistance to cover hotel accommodations.
- Special needs could include having a disability, a medical condition or other family needs.
- Apply for emergency financial assistance by visiting an Alberta Supports Centre or calling the Income Support Contact Centre at 1-866-644-5135. Information is also available through the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992.
- Albertans affected by wildfires, including evacuees, can access supports by calling the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992.
- The centre is open from 8:15 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.
- The Income Support Contact Centre is also available 24-7 and provides emergency financial assistance. It can be reached at 1-866-644-5135.
Fire bans and other restrictions
- Unusually warm, dry weather and strong winds mean it is easier for a wildfire to start and spread.
- As a result of these conditions, the entire province is under a fire ban. No open burning is allowed, including backyard fire pits inside the Forest Protection Area. Alberta Parks and many municipalities and communities have ordered their own bans and restrictions. For more information, visit Albertafirebans.ca.
- A provincial off-highway vehicle restriction is also in place, which means the recreational use of off-highway vehicles on public land, including on designated OHV trails, is prohibited.
Wildfire activity updates
- There are currently 110 active wildfires in the Forest Protection Area, 37 of which are classified as out of control.
- Information on all wildfires is on the Alberta Wildfire dashboard and the Alberta Wildfire app.
Travel
- There are multiple road closures and advisories for north and central Alberta.
- Visit 511.alberta.ca for up-to-date information on road closures and travel advisories.
Health
- Alberta Health Services is supporting the evacuation of the Drayton Valley Hospital.
- Patients will be moved to Rocky Mountain House and Edmonton hospitals.
- Edson Healthcare Centre has been fully evacuated with patients/continuing care residents and families being notified of new location of all patients and continuing care residents.
- Evacuation of the Fox Creek Health Centre is currently underway.
- AHS continues to work in providing care in the community to transport residents to other facilities in Alberta and Edmonton.
- EMS and zones continues to be fully engaged to ensure safe transport and care of all patients/residents. Other zones and provincial programs are assisting with reception centres, and ensuring availability of spaces/equipment as needed.
- Alberta Health Services is deploying mobile air quality monitoring, as multiple communities are reporting high levels of smoke and ash residue.
- Residents affected by the wildfires who have health care-related questions and are looking for up-to-date information about the wildfires or health care resources, should visit the Alberta Health Services Wildfire Resources webpage.
- For non-emergency health advice, including information on their health care options, residents should call Health Link at 811.
Justice
- Due to the wildfire evacuation of Evansburg, Evansburg court sittings on Monday, May 8 have been relocated to Stony Plain.
- The Drayton Valley circuit court is within the Town of Drayton Valley’s evacuation order. The next sitting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 16.
Agriculture and livestock
- Agricultural societies may have room for livestock evacuated from wildfire areas: Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies.
- Evacuated farmers and ranchers:
- can contact the wildfire resource line at 310-4455 with agriculture and livestock related questions.
- should register at the reception centre identified for their community so staff can quickly assist them and connect them with the resources they need.
- may need re-entry permits if they want to go back into an evacuated area to check on livestock, and should check with their municipality before entering.
Alberta Emergency Alerts
- For up-to-the-minute Alberta Emergency Alert information, visit Alberta Emergency Alert.
- Albertans are encouraged to download the Alberta Emergency Alert mobile app, which immediately pushes all alerts out to subscribers.
From the Canadian Energy Centre
‘Today’s youth have the opportunity to lead us into the future with innovative solutions for environmental challenges’
After a 24-year career in oil sands land reclamation, author Tanya Richens is sharing her knowledge with young minds.
Her new book, From the Earth to Us: Discovering the Origins of Everyday Things, explores the relationship between natural resources and the things we use in everyday life, from computers and water bottles to batteries and solar panels.
“There is a gap in society’s understanding of where things come from. We are a society driven by consumerism and immediate gratification. We order something online, and it arrives on our doorstep the next day. We don’t stop to think about where it really came from or how it was made,” Richens says.
“There’s an ever-increasing societal position that mining is bad, and oil is even worse… But there’s a simple hypocrisy in those beliefs, since so many things in our lives are made from the raw materials that come from mining and oil and natural gas,” she says.
The book, illustrated by reclamation artist Shannon Carla King, follows young Hennessy Rose and her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Riley on a trip to a children’s summer camp.
Hennessy’s mom is a guest speaker on the origin of everyday items and the relationship between humans and the earth. Through detailed explanations of items surrounding her, Hennessy’s mom teaches the kids how rocks, minerals, oil and gas from the earth are used to power and aid our lives, creating items such as building supplies, food and hair products, camping and sports equipment, and cell phones.
Author Tanya Richens poses with her two books for children about natural resources. Photo for Canadian Energy Centre
“I thought a simple and fun book explaining the raw materials needed to make everyday items would be valuable for all ages,” Richens says.
“When people feel personally connected to natural resources, they are more likely to promote sustainable practices. Today’s youth will have the opportunity to lead us into the future with innovative solutions for environmental challenges.”
Richens‘ career began with Alberta Environment, where she was a coordinator of reclamation approvals in the oil sands. She oversaw technical reviews of oil sands reclamation applications, communicated with statement of concern filers, coordinated public hearings and provided support for legislative changes.
She moved from government to Suncor Energy, ensuring the company’s compliance on reclamation projects and led initiatives to obtain reclamation certificates. She now works as an independent consultant.
Drawing on her wealth of experience in the field, Richens’ first book, Adventures in Land Reclamation: Exploring Jobs for a Greener Future, seeks to excite kids aged 9-12 years about jobs related to the environment and land reclamation.
Hoping to get From the Earth to Us into the hands of teachers, Richens is heading to the Edmonton Teachers Convention in late February. She says the book supports multiple learning outcomes in Alberta’s new science curriculum for grades 3, 4, 5 and 6.
“Ultimately, I’d like people to understand and acknowledge their individual part in the need for mining and oil and natural gas development. Until the naivety and hypocrisy in the world is addressed, I’m not sure that real environmental change is possible.”
Richens’ books can be purchased on her website at tcrenvironmental.com.
Canada’s wealth is based on its success as a trading nation. Canada is blessed with immense resources spread across a vast country. It has succeeded as a small, open economy with an enviable standard of living that has been able to provide what the world needs.
Canada has been stuck in a situation where it cannot complete nation‑building projects like the Canadian Pacific Railway that was completed in 1885, or the Trans Canada Highway that was completed in the 1960s. With the uncertainty of U.S. tariffs looming over our country and province, Canada needs to take bold action to revitalize the productivity and competitiveness of its economy – going east to west and not always relying on north-south trade. There’s no better time than right now to politically de-risk these projects.
A lack of leadership from the federal government has led to the following:
- Inadequate federal funding for trade infrastructure.
- A lack of investment is stifling the infrastructure capacity we need to diversify our exports. This is despite federally commissioned reports like the 2022 report by the National Supply Chain Task Force indicating the investment need will be trillions over the next 50 years.
- Federal red tape, like the Impact Assessment Act.
- Burdensome regulation has added major costs and significant delays to projects, like the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project, a proposed container facility at Vancouver, which spent more than a decade under federal review.
- Opaque funding programs, like the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF).
- Which offers a pattern of unclear criteria for decisions and lack of response. This program has not funded any provincial highway projects in Alberta, despite the many applications put forward by the Government of Alberta. In fact, we’ve gone nearly 3 years without decisions on some project applications.
- Ineffective policies that limit economic activity.
- Measures that pit environmental and economic objectives in stark opposition to one another instead of seeking innovative win-win solutions hinder Canada’s overall productivity and investment climate. One example is the moratorium on shipping crude through northern B.C. waters, which effectively ended Enbridge’s Northern Gateway proposal and has limited Alberta’s ability to ship its oil to Asian markets.
In a federal leadership vacuum, Alberta has worked to advance economic corridors across Canada. In April 2023, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba signed an agreement to collaborate on joint infrastructure networks meant to boost trade and economic growth across the Prairies. Alberta also signed a similar economic corridor agreement with the Northwest Territories in July 2024. Additionally, Alberta would like to see an agreement among all 7 western provinces and territories, and eventually the entire country, to collaborate on economic corridors.
Through our collaboration with neighbouring jurisdictions, we will spur the development of economic corridors by reducing regulatory delays and attracting investment. We recognize the importance of working with Indigenous communities on the development of major infrastructure projects, which will be key to our success in these endeavours.
However, provinces and territories cannot do this alone. The federal government must play its part to advance our country’s economic corridors that we need from coast to coast to coast to support our economic future. It is time for immediate action.
Alberta recommends the federal government take the following steps to strengthen Canada’s economic corridors and supply chains by:
- Creating an Economic Corridor Agency to identify and maintain economic corridors across provincial boundaries, with meaningful consultation with both Indigenous groups and industry.
- Increasing federal funding for trade-enabling infrastructure, such as roads, rail, ports, in-land ports, airports and more.
- Streamlining regulations regarding trade-related infrastructure and interprovincial trade, especially within economic corridors. This would include repealing or amending the Impact Assessment Act and other legislation to remove the uncertainty and ensure regulatory provisions are proportionate to the specific risk of the project.
- Adjusting the policy levers that that support productivity and competitiveness. This would include revisiting how the federal government supports airports, especially in the less-populated regions of Canada.
To move forward expeditiously on the items above, I propose the establishment of a federal/provincial/territorial working group. This working group would be tasked with creating a common position on addressing the economic threats facing Canada, and the need for mitigating trade and trade-enabling infrastructure. The group should identify appropriate governance to ensure these items are presented in a timely fashion by relative priority and urgency.
Alberta will continue to be proactive and tackle trade issues within its own jurisdiction. From collaborative memorandums of understanding with the Prairies and the North, to reducing interprovincial trade barriers, to fostering innovative partnerships with Indigenous groups, Alberta is working within its jurisdiction, much like its provincial and territorial colleagues.
We ask the federal government to join us in a new approach to infrastructure development that ensures Canada is productive and competitive for generations to come and generates the wealth that ensures our quality of life is second to none.
-
Devin Dreeshen
Devin Dreeshen was sworn in as Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors on October 24, 2022.
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