Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Fort McMurray once again showed its resiliency and fortitude when in April the community experienced a massive flood that displaced many and inundated the downtown area. Residents quickly took up flood relief efforts to minimize the damage.
An evacuee himself, artist and youth mentor Liam Renner helped with sandbagging in the hospital parking lot.
To protect two museum sites, the Heritage Village and the Heritage Shipyard, Steve Auty assisted in building a berm and sandbagging.
While adhering to social distancing measures, Canadian Red Cross emergency management volunteer Michelle Landsiedel delivered emergency response and relief assistance to community members impacted by the flood.
After unfortunately being laid off, Gayle Wiscombe volunteered to take the night shift downtown where she aided in filling sandbags to protect the hospital.
Rory O’Hearn not only participated in sandbagging efforts, but also livestreamed the disaster on social media so that others in the community could keep abreast of the situation.
Despite dealing with the effects of the pandemic and the flood themselves, these frontline volunteers selflessly aided the Fort McMurray community in weathering these unexpected and demanding circumstances.