REBUILDING AFTER DISASTER
Contractors praise Wood Buffalo
Safety is our priority and we know this is going to be unlike any construction our community has ever seen.
Their names might have appeared on the boards at local hockey games, adorned front yards, or welcomed people at the entrance to housing developments, but one year ago Fort McMurray homebuilders largely existed on the periphery.
Today, local builders are front and centre in the region’s rebuilding efforts, helping reconstruct communities ravaged by the Horse River Fire. Many of them credit the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) for providing easy-to-find information and streamlining the rebuilding process for both homebuilders and homeowners alike.
“I’ve worked in a number of communities, and the RMWB is the most organized and professional organization that I’ve ever worked with,” said Jim Crawford, owner of TimberCreek Homes. “The communication has been excellent, and the resources they’ve been able to pull together to help people is just incredible.”
The surge of new construction poses a massive juggling act. Approximately 179 homebuilders have registered to perform work in the region, and RMWB Planning and Development has handled the approval process while providing information about permits, procedures, and rebuilding options for homeowners.
“They RMWB has done a great job at keeping homeowners informed about things they need to look out for, which homebuilders are available, and different programs like the Alberta New Home Warranty program,” Crawford said, who credits the RMWB website for providing a one-stop rebuild resource. “There’s a lot of information that has to be shared, and the RMWB has done a great job of providing it on their website, where it’s easy to find, all in one place. Plus, the safety officer recently held a planning meeting to update people on a new code that went into effect. Things like that are great, and they really show a commitment to keeping people informed. As an organization, the RMWB has been very detailed, and it’s been a pleasure working with them.”
Crawford speaks from experience. Originally from High River, Crawford and his family had to evacuate when flooding impacted the town in June 2013.
“I went through the flood in High River and saw the impact, so I know the situation in Fort McMurray, having been through it myself,” Crawford said. “I can honestly say, not to disparage my hometown, but Fort McMurray has dealt with the disaster a thousand times better than High River. Even now, you look at High River and you can see that a flood went through it. Fort McMurray has done an amazing job of cleaning up the outlying areas, and communities are starting to take shape. The bulk of the work will be done in the next year or two, and in five years people seeing new areas for the first time might not even realize that there was a fire.
“The biggest difference between High River and Fort McMurray has been the positivity level. From all the people I’ve met up there I can say that they’re very strong, community-minded people who are willing to work hard. There’s a huge amount of infrastructure going into the rebuild, and it’s pretty remarkable what they’ve been able to pull together.”
However, the rebuild hasn’t come without challenges. Aside from insurance issues related to both fire and water damage, increased material costs and logistical challenges posed by Fort McMurray’s remote location have hampered builders, and manpower shortages could still impact construction.
“One of the biggest challenges during the last year is just getting materials up there at a decent cost,” Crawford said. “Prices haven’t come down at all, but they haven’t gone up as much as I thought they would. Once things pick up in the spring we’ll see if there are enough tradespeople to meet the increased demand.”
In total, the fire destroyed 1,595 buildings and structures, including 2,579 dwelling units, and with rebuilding efforts turning several areas into construction zones for the foreseeable future, safety is a major priority. To that end, the RMWB recently released a safety video titled ‘Rebuilding Wood Buffalo — How to Stay Safe.’ The video aims to keep residents, particularly children, safe and aware of their surroundings throughout the rebuild.
“Safety is our priority and we know this is going to be unlike any construction our community has ever seen,” said Jeanette Bancarz, chair of the Wood Buffalo Recovery Committee. “The risk of this particular construction season is heightened because so many of our residents already live in these neighbourhoods and go to school there.”