“WE'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH SOMETHING”
As a former elected official, Don Scott has seen first-hand the resilience of Fort McMurray residents.
The 49-year-old former Progressive Conservative MLA for Fort McMurray-Conklin also sat on the municipal council and runs a law firm in Fort McMurray.
“I carry a strong sense of optimism for the region,” he says. “People want to go back and make it an even stronger community.”
In the days following the evacuation, Scott was offered office space by an Edmonton law firm, and a former colleague offered his family a home to stay in Stony Plain, 41 kilometres west of Edmonton.
Although his wife and two daughters flew to Taiwan to spend time with his in-laws, he has been busy preparing for his return to Fort McMurray, his shopping list not exactly consisting of your run-ofthe-mill groceries.
In the past few days, Scott has bought 10 cases of water, a jerry can of gas and a face mask as he prepares to head back once the phased re-entry begins in June.
“I’m looking forward to going back,” he says. “There’s no place like home.”
Around three-quarters of Scott’s law firm staff have indicated they will not be immediately returning to Fort McMurray. Most want to see a boil water advisory lifted — in effect since the May 2 evacuation order — and all medical services reinstated, before heading back.
Although it’s good that a re-entry plan has been announced, according to Scott, residents need to be assured that the “best medical people are assessing the situation.”
“People want to have a strong sense of security for their health,” he says. “People want to hear they can live in that environment in a safe way.”
Originally from New Brunswick, Scott met his wife while attending Cambridge University in England. The two moved to Fort McMurray and started a family there in 2000.
“It’s just been an incredible place of opportunities,” Scott says. “People have come there from all over the world.”
Impressed by the “get-it-done” attitude of the residents, Scott was inspired to run for office, and was elected as an MLA in 2012. He served as Associate Minister of Transparency and Transformation and Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education until 2015.
“I’ve never felt such a strong sense of community as I do now,” Scott says. “It took the community being threatened in this way, I think, to bring an even stronger sense of community to the region.”
Scott has also witnessed the kindness of other Albertans during the challenging weeks following his displacement. Strangers have offered to pay for his purchases at stores and he’s received countless hugs from well-wishers around town.
Looking ahead to rebuilding, he understands the challenges, but believes his city will emerge stronger as a consequence of the ordeal.
“We’ve all been through something; it’s hard to compare,” he says. “There’s going to be a lot of work ahead.”