Jasper wildfire anniversary: a time to focus and do better
Jasper wildfire anniversary: a time to focus, a time to do better
Calgary – On the one-year anniversary of the Jasper wildfires, Naheed Nenshi and Alberta’s New Democrat Caucus stand with the people of Jasper. Together, Albertans mourn deep losses, gratefully remember the life of firefighter Morgan Kitchen, celebrate first responders, public servants and community volunteers, and resolve to learn and do better.
“As Albertans, let’s continue to support Jasper,” said Nenshi. “I encourage all Albertans to visit this national park this summer, taking advantage of the Canada Strong pass, and to support local businesses and residents. Alberta’s New Democrat Caucus has also scheduled our next caucus meeting in Jasper to do our own small part.”
A report commissioned by the Town of Jasper outlined further lessons on what happened during last year’s fires and how to improve preparedness for future emergencies.
“This anniversary is an important opportunity to take stock of what was learned and figure out how to do better,” said Nenshi. “The Town of Jasper did exactly the right thing in engaging with experts to conduct a post-action analysis and reflection. All parties should commit to learning from and abiding by those recommendations.”
Premier Danielle Smith’s first response to the report was to discard its findings and cast blame on municipal and federal governments.
“The Premier’s response to the report last week was appalling,” said Nenshi. “She clearly had not read it and lashed out in anger at people who had been very badly hurt. Her backtracking yesterday made it even worse. Rather than apologizing for her outburst, she blamed the media and the town again.
“Anniversaries like this are hard on everyone. They bring up bad memories and dredge up old fears. The last thing anyone needs is the Premier forcing them to backtrack, second-guess themselves, and do more work. Ironically, this is exactly what the report suggested occurred during the wildfire. Clearly the Premier and Minister Ellis have learned nothing.”
Nenshi encouraged the Premier to work with all orders of government to better serve Albertans impacted by natural disasters.
“At a time when wildfires are burning across the province and the people of Slave Lake are under an evacuation alert, Albertans deserve a government that is continuously focused on being better, not on insulting, belittling, and threatening anyone who would dare criticize them.”
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