Flood-hit residents in Alberta return home

FORT McMURRAY, Alta. — More than 13,000 Fort McMurray residents forced out by flooding were allowed to return to their homes Friday, but an ice jam on the Peace River was threatening several other northern Alberta communities.

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray, lifted the mandatory evacuation order for five parts of the city late Friday citing receding water levels. They included residential neighbourhoods, an industrial park and a civic recreation-leisure area.

“We want evacuees back in their residences as quickly and safely as possible and I want to thank people for their patience knowing how anxious everyone has been to get home,” Mayor Don Scott said. The mandatory evacuation order remained in effect for just one neighbourhood, Draper.

Earlier, Environment Minister Jason Nixon said a 44-kilometrelong icy mass on the Peace River could mean another 6,000 residents might need support from the province. “Little Red River Cree Nation issued a local state of emergency on April 27,” Nixon said during a news conference. “We know several thousand people could be affected.”

A total of 750 people have already had to leave their homes on the reserve, which includes Garden City on the eastern edge of Wood Buffalo National Park. Nixon said at least 400 of those people need support.

“We are working with the provincial operations centre to get temporary shelter and food to them as quickly as possible.”

In Fort McMurray, a different ice jam on the Athabasca River this week led to the flooding of the city’s downtown.

“Leaving your homes during a disaster is never ideal,” said Nixon. “When you add the stress of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has certainly been a difficult and challenging week for everyone in northern Alberta affected by flooding.”

The situation improved in Fort McMurray on Friday.

Nixon said water levels had fallen by 7.6 metres on the Athabasca River, and between one and 1.5 metres on the Clearwater River since Sunday. He added that the toe of the Athabasca ice jam had released overnight and the blockage was about nine kilometres long, down from 25 kilometres at its peak.

Scott said he had asked municipal employees to do everything they can to get people back to their homes as soon as possible.

“The water is going down rapidly,” he said.

“There is real progress being made with the areas that still have water downtown.”