Fort McMurray helps wildfire evacuees in B.C.

KAMLOOPS — When a wildfire forced Ainsley Braithwaite from her home in Fort McMurray last year, she never thought she’d have a chance to repay the kindness shown to her by strangers.

But on Monday, she and three other residents of the Alberta city rolled into Kamloops with a truckload of donated supplies to be distributed to evacuees and first responders fleeing and fighting the fires burning across B.C.’s Interior.

“It just felt so right to come here and pay it forward,” Braithwaite said. “It’s a tough go and we know that.”

Marty Frost, a Fort McMurray resident who has a background in firefighting, began organizing donations from residents and businesses Saturday using Facebook and within eight our nine hours he had eight tonnes of donated water and sports drinks.

“Facebook is an incredible tool,” he said. “People joined in volunteering and helping out.”

Braithwaite heard about the online posts and offered to help. She and three other volunteers left Fort McMurray on Sunday morning with a trailer packed with food, drinks and basic supplies, and a truck carrying 700 litres of fuel.

They arrived in Kamloops around midnight, and on Monday morning made deliveries to Thompson Rivers University, the Kamloops Food Bank and Kamloops airport, where they left supplies like socks, underwear, water, respirators, eye drops and lip balm for first responders.

Braithwaite said it felt good to see the donations being handed out to people right away.

“My heart goes out to these people because I know the feeling of the helplessness,” she said.

Food bank executive director Bernadette Siracky said the donations were a welcome surprise.

The food bank has set up extra storage space and is now equipped to take donations of food and water for evacuees. Siracky said any food and water not distributed before the wildfires end will be sent to food banks in Ashcroft, Cache Creek and 100 Mile House.

Another group helping evacuees also has ties to Fort McMurray. The Postmen started up in response to last year’s wildfire and is collecting donations in Kamloops and other cities across B.C. and Alberta.

Jessica Cressey, a Kamloops Postman, started collecting food and supplies in her back yard, and when the donations overwhelmed her The Salvation Army, which is also assisting evacuees, offered space in their basement.

“To work together in a partnership like this is awesome,” said Salvation Army Major Paul Trickett. “Everyone can scratch and get their own donations or we can all come together and people can actually be helped in a greater need.”

Added Cressey: “That’s the beautiful thing, how we can come together and how we can communicate together and how we can actually make this happen.”