Redblacks worry about fire victims in Fort McMurray area

First, the important stuff: Ottawa Redblacks Ryan Hinds and Chris Milo reported that the friend of Cauchy Muamba and the son of Don Sweet and their respective families were OK following the massive wildfire that devastated Fort McMurray and forced an emergency evacuation for tens of thousands of people from that northern Alberta city.

Like all Canadians, Hinds and Milo have been struck by not only reports on the destruction caused by the fire, but also the spirit of a community where they spent a few days each in 2015 as part of Canadian Football League teams.

Hinds was at SMS Equipment Stadium for two games as a defensive back with the Edmonton Eskimos, who faced the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a pre-season contest and opened the regular season against the “host” Toronto Argonauts. Opponents included four athletes who have since signed with the Redblacks as free agents: Milo, a kicker, and receiver Alex Pierzchalski, both former Roughriders; and quarterback Trevor Harris and fullback Brendan Gillanders from the 2015 Argonauts.

The fire, Hinds said, “is, what, three times the size of Edmonton now? That’s insane. But having been in that area and in that neighbourhood, it’s just unbelievably unfortunate and depressing.

“It’s such a shame because you know how kind those people are. You can tell by the outreach that they’re providing for each other.”

Hinds, who met the family of Muamba’s friend since his roommate’s days at St. Francis Xavier in Antigonish, N.S., while the Eskimos were in town, also mentioned being stopped on a street and welcomed to Fort McMurray by locals while walking to a submarine sandwich shop. received his update on Sweet’s son directly from the former CFL star, now a highly regarded kicking coach/ consultant in British Columbia. The Redblacks kicker, who travelled there to work with Sweet in preparation for training camp later this month, has also been in contact with other acquaintances who worked in the Fort McMurray area.

Swelled by Rider Pride, the June 13 pre-season contest attracted a crowd of 11,825. Milo kicked a field goal and Pierzchalski caught a two-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kevin Glenn, but the Roughriders still lost 31-24.

The CFL and its nine teams announced last week a combined donation of $50,000 to the Canadian Red Cross in support of efforts to assist Fort McMurray residents.