Emergency 28

Disasters and emergencies, like the spring flooding that’s currently impacting Canadians across the country, put a lot of stress on people who are affected.  It’s important to remember that living through a disaster or emergency is extremely stressful, and because of that it’s totally normal to feel extremely stressed out. 

In the days and months that followed the wild fire, we saw an incredible outpouring of support from across Canada. And throughout the past year we have seen just how resilient the people in the Fort McMurray area are. But, as many are aware, the work is not yet over.

This can make a person wonder...

It’s been a year; why aren’t things back to normal?

Martin de Vries, a Canadian Red Cross aid worker currently in Ethiopia as part of the Africa drought response, shares how the first rainfall of the year brings joy to a community, but doesn't mean the end of the drought.

Following the evacuation from Fort McMurray in 2016, Sithara Fernando experienced post-traumatic stress (PTSD) and a major depression. One year after the wildfire, she shares her story to help other people who are still recovering. She is thankful for the support of the Red Cross in providing mental health resources in the community. 

April 25, 2015 was a day the world watched in shock at the devastating snapshots on TV of century-old monuments tumbling to the ground, homes collapsing amidst the dust and people looking for loved ones under the rubble. But for Bijay Bharati, a Nepali-Canadian, it was his worst nightmare. His wife and children were staying in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. Working with the Canadian Red Cross as a Health Delegate in South Sudan, Bijay watched the news unfold.

Manitoba families who have been evacuated from their homes due to flooding had a chance to get away from their hotels for a few hours and enjoy some activities on the Easter weekend, thanks to the Red Cross and the corporate support of BMO Bank of Montreal.

Even when fire ravaged her recently renovated home, Saskatchewan resident Brenda Lyons didn’t think she needed support, initially declining Red Cross assistance; however, she discovered support was just what she needed to get her and her family through the long journey of recovery.

It is a story taken right out of the pages of an adventure novel: a harrowing escape from a wildfire that was quickly encroaching on the city. This is how Peter Fortna and Jay Telegdi describe their evacuation from the Fort McMurray wildfires a year ago, which inspired the two friends to start a fundraiser for those evacuated from their homes in Aleppo, Syria.