AB Wildfires 2016: Def Min Asked for Help

[PuckChaser]

Trudeau was looking for shovel-ready projects to stimulate the economy.  Here is one that crosses all political boundaries and which might, just might undo some of the wrongs done to Alberta by his father and others of the liberal party and it isn't nearly as politically risky as supporting a pipeline.  I'd say a win-win just by saying he'll match the Albertan government dollar for dollar in re-construction projects.

Considering how vitally important that area is for Canada's current economy, I don't think dollar for dollar will work. Its a good PR move, but looking at some of the videos that rival Hiroshima in terms of destruction (not human losses), there has to be a whole lot of money dumped in there in the right places to get them going again quickly.

There's also a bunch of memes going around Facebook showing the former PM getting his hands dirty (looks like post flood cleanup), trying to take a hit at the current PM. Quite a bit premature considering the town is still evacuated, and only police-led convoys are allowed in to get to bring the people trapped north of the city out. Trudeau isn't about to fast-rope down and start cleaning up a house while no one is home...

 

[tomahawk6]

I dont believe in so called climate change,rather its mother nature at work starting fires with lightning.Its how she renews the land.

 

[RocketRichard]

It's not a question of 'belief'. It's science.

PS thoughts are with those affected and support to first responders and military.

 

[daftandbarmy]

PS thoughts are with those affected and support to first responders and military.

Absolutely

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/when-evacuation-was-ordered-mcmurray-principal-fled-with-busload-of-students

 

[The Bread Guy]

Absolutely

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/when-evacuation-was-ordered-mcmurray-principal-fled-with-busload-of-students

Indeed - only just caught this ...

Emily Ryan died in a car crash while fleeing wildfires in northern Alberta, but firefighters were determined not to let memories of her disappear.

The 15-year-old was the daughter of a deputy fire chief in Saprae Creek east of Fort McMurray. After her death, when flames threatened her family home, crews spent the night dousing the exterior with water.

“That was a huge sacrifice on their behalf, because some of them lost their homes while they were making sure that we didn’t lose ours,” said Emily’s sister Chelsi Ryan, her voice shaking.

“She had this big book collection downstairs that we’re very happy to know that, as of yesterday, it is still there.”

Emily and her stepmother’s nephew, Aaron Hodgson, died Wednesday when their SUV collided with a tractor trailer on Highway 881 near Lac La Biche, Alta. She had been fleeing from the community of Anzac after evacuating her Saprae Creek home a day earlier ...

 

[George Wallace]

A very good update by the leader of the Wild Rose Party, with no crib notes, coaching or rehearsal; only getting emotional at the end:

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalEdmonton/videos/10153383897285927/

CTV Edmonton has aerial footage of the devastation in Fort McMurray:

http://globalnews.ca/news/2687404/watch-aerial-footage-above-fort-mcmurray-shows-the-devastation-in-abasand-and-beacon-hill/?sf25866087=1

 

[Harris]

Warning: Operation Honour violation in progress.  You may be offended.

Didn't see this anywhere else, but I'm told this will likely not go well for the airperson (?) involved.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eemin7DNvYg

 

[George Wallace]

Warning: Operation Honour violation in progress.  You may be offended.

Didn't see this anywhere else, but I'm told this will likely not go well for the airperson (?) involved.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eemin7DNvYg

[

Too late. 

 

[ballz]

Warning: Operation Honour violation in progress.  You may be offended.

Didn't see this anywhere else, but I'm told this will likely not go well for the airperson (?) involved.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eemin7DNvYg

IMO, it was all above board until the very end when he made reference to the Captain being cute... he may pay the piper for that one.

 

[RedcapCrusader]

IMO, it was all above board until the very end when he made reference to the Captain being cute... he may pay the piper for that one.

The Captain (Pilot) was a dude though so... Pretty progressive and inclusive if you ask me.

 

[PuckChaser]

The Captain (Pilot) was a dude though so... Pretty progressive and inclusive if you ask me.

They have to hang him for this, otherwise Operation Honour is a failure. The whole point is 0 tolerance, completely removing logic and context from the situation.

 

[Scoobs]

Op Honour or not, it was not an appropriate way to brief, whether the passengers were civilian or military.  I know for a fact that this has come to the attention of Senior pers in the RCAF.

The way the briefing was done was unprofessional and there was absolutely no need to do it the way he did.  Totally unacceptable.

By the way, I'm not offended by the swearing, just not happy about the unprofessional airmanship displayed.

 

[Scoobs]

And on a different note, a Chinook is now part of the fight.  I can't find the video besides via the RCAF's Facebook page.  Check it out there.

 

[PuckChaser]

I thought he did a pretty good job getting people to laugh who had been trapped by a fire and now are being evaced while their possessions likely will be destroyed. You can bet every one of those people on the bus remembered what to do because they talked and laughed about it the whole flight.

 

[Journeyman]

A Loadie....un-cultured.....imagine that.

I have absolutely no doubt that he will be flayed and then hanged; and that's no more of a surprise than a meeting boorish Loadmaster.  While most of my career has been spent successfully avoiding HQs, I am familiar with them.... and it's true, familiarity does breed contempt.

 

[The Bread Guy]

What's Canada doing now ...

The Government of Canada will stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Fort McMurray in the wake of the devastating Northern Alberta wildfires.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced the creation of a new ad hoc Cabinet committee to coordinate federal efforts to help the thousands of Canadians affected by the wildfires that raged through Northern Alberta in May of 2016.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Northern Alberta Wildfires will meet as required to consider and coordinate federal contributions to recovery and rebuilding efforts for those affected by the May 2016 Northern Alberta wildfires ...

... and what's Ontario doing now:

Ontario will contribute $500,000 to the Canadian Red Cross to help its relief efforts for people displaced by the wildfires in Alberta.

Premier Kathleen Wynne announced the province's support today for the almost 90,000 people who have fled the massive wildfires in the Fort McMurray area. Ontario's contribution will assist the Red Cross in its work to provide relief and assist with recovery.

Ontario has also provided emergency management personnel to support local firefighting efforts. As of today, over 60 firefighters, three strike team leaders and 16 incident management and supervisory staff from Ontario are on the ground in Alberta ...

 

[The Bread Guy]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice ...

Two people are facing charges after using fake identification to get emergency money meant for Fort McMurray fire evacuees.

Calgary police Const. Melissa van Waes says a 29-year-old man went to a centre set up by the Alberta government to give debit cards to people who had to flee their homes in northeastern Alberta due to a massive forest fire earlier this month.

The officer says a Service Alberta worker noticed something when the man produced identification and it turned out it was fake. It was also discovered that the man had two other debit cards from another centre ...

 

[The Bread Guy]

South Africa sends some help ...

SOUTH Africa is sending 301 fire fighters and management from the Department of Environmental Affairs’ Working on Fire programme to Canada‚ where a massive wild fire in an oil belt saw a town evacuated and companies suffer heavy losses.

While the worst of the damage is over‚ the fire’s size was estimated at just over 520‚000 hectares and the South African team has been asked to help with their fire suppression efforts.

The team has started to assemble in Johannesburg‚ Gauteng‚ from where they will be flying to Alberta‚ Canada‚ on Sunday.

Their assistance was requested by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).

"This deployment of wildland fire fighters is the biggest South African deployment ever (outside of the army) to assist a foreign country‚" Working on Fire spokesman Linton Rensburg said.

"There are a number of priority fires that require human resources especially the Fort McMurray‚ Alberta‚ fire. CIFFC have sent a formal request for assistance to their international partners including Working on Fire." ...

 

[mariomike]

South Africa sends some help

"The Dancing South African firefighters are leaving Alberta after realising how little they will be earning there."
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/south-african-firefighters-leaving-alberta-after-strike-over-pay-1.2938473
Three hundred South African firefighters on loan to Alberta will be packing up and leaving after only a week on the job, following a strike over the terms of their payment.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Canadian Muslims helping out ...

“On the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, Toronto-based International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF) announces a gift of $250,000 to the people of Fort McMurray,” Farheen Khan, IDRF Director, Fund Development and External Affairs, told IQRA.ca.

(...)

The contribution will be given to Habitat for Humanity for rebuilding and repairing housing for those who were uninsured or had minimal insurance coverage.

The Eid gift for Fort McMurray was raised on June 30, the eve of Canada Day, in the City of Markham at a fund-raising dinner hosted by Khalid Usman, former Markham councilor with the help of Mayor Frank Scarpitti of Markham and John McCallum, Federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship ...