This release was issued under a previous government.
Government has worked closely with several partners, including the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and the Red Cross, to help ensure residents are receiving the support they need to rebuild and recover.
“Over the past six months, we have seen the incredible strength and resiliency of those impacted by this wildfire. Significant progress has been made in the region, but as someone who has been through this in my own hometown, I know that recovery takes years, not months. Our government has stood with and supported the people of Wood Buffalo since the start of this disaster and we will continue to do that as we see their recovery through.”
The recovery report outlines events leading up to the evacuation, actions taken during the wildfire, and work done to support the long-term recovery of the region around five pillars: people, economy, reconstruction, environment and mitigation.
The report also points to work the Government of Alberta will undertake to better prepare for future disasters. This includes continuing to work with the federal government on changes to the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements and increased mitigation funding, exploring opportunities to build partnerships with the Canadian Red Cross for closer working relationships following a disaster, and reviewing the province’s recovery policies and programming to ensure Alberta’s emergency response system can be even stronger in the future.
A request for proposals was issued to select an appropriate contractor to conduct an independent review of the emergency response to the Wood Buffalo wildfire.