Calgary opens centre at Stampede Park for Alberta wildfire evacuees
CTV
The City of Calgary is helping the relief effort for those affected by the wildfires in central and northern Alberta, including sending personnel to help battle fires and opening a reception centre for fleeing residents.
The City of Calgary is helping the relief effort for those affected by the wildfires in central and northern Alberta, including sending personnel to help battle fires and opening a reception centre for fleeing residents.
Sue Henry, chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency, shared details of the reception centre and other supports being sent from Calgary.
As of right now, Henry said Calgary's emergency reception centre, located at the Grandstand Building at Stampede Park, is open and Calgary's municipal emergency plan is active.
"We know this is a difficult time for the province and thousands of people are evacuated from their homes across the province. In Calgary, we have always been a great partner and we are here to help on the provincial landscape," Henry said, adding this is a very different scenario than what Calgary is used to seeing.
"This is not in our jurisdiction. So what's important with that is we cannot and will not self-deploy to communities. We have to wait for the order to move from our provincial counterparts or from other jurisdictions."
That doesn't mean that Calgary isn't doing what it can to help those in need, Henry said.
"The City of Calgary has opened a reception centre for any evacuees from across the province to access accommodations and other supports."
