Update 16: Northwest Alberta wildfires (June 6 at 6 p.m.)

Lloyd Lewis

Published

6 years ago

17 minute read

June 06, 2019

Weather conditions favourable for firefighters.

Wet, cooler weather has contributed to conditions that make it easier for fighting wildfires across the province. Rain continues to fall in many areas of Alberta while the High Level area experiences cool temperatures.

Approximately 4,800 evacuees remain displaced. Steen River and Trout Lake evacuees are now eligible for evacuation payments.

The following communities remain on evacuation alert:

Keg River, Carcajou and all residents from the northern border of the County of Northern Lights to Township Road 922 (Notikewin Road)
Hamlet of Sandy Lake
Town of Slave Lake
MD of Lesser Slave Lake, including Old Smith Highway, Mitsue, Poplar Lane, Fawcett Lake, Eben Road and Bayer Road
Peerless Lake area of Peerless Trout First Nation
Town of Manning and some surrounding areas
Mackenzie County: everyone north and south of the Peace River from Township Road 1030 north to Township Road 1110, west of Range Road 120 to Highway 35 south and southeast of High Level, and east of Range Road 180 (Blue Hills Road)

Mandatory evacuations remain in place for:

Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement
Some areas of Mackenzie County: west of Blues Creek, north of Highway 697, west of Blue Hills Road (RR 180) and north of Township Road 1030 and La Crete Ferry Campground to the Peace River.
Steen River
The Trout Lake area of Peerless Trout First Nation
Bigstone Cree Nation
- Wabasca No. 166
Parts of the MD of Opportunity No. 17
Hamlet of Wabasca – Desmarais
Hamlet of Sandy Lake
Chipewyan Lake Village

Current situation:

Chuckegg Creek wildfire, southwest of High Level, is about 275,985 hectares.
Jackpot Creek wildfire, approximately 11 kilometres north of Lutose, is about 28,100 hectares.
McMillan Wildfire Complex, southwest of Bigstone Cree Nation, is more than 248,000 hectares.
Battle Wildfire Complex in Peace River is about 56,200 hectares.
There are more than 2,100 wildland and structural firefighters and staff, approximately 223 helicopters and 28 air tankers and heavy equipment on these fires.
Check Alberta Emergency Alerts for more detailed and frequently updated information.
People driving in fire-affected areas should carry enough fuel, as it may not be readily available.

Visit emergency.alberta.ca for detailed and frequently updated information.

Air quality

Smoke is causing poor air quality and reducing visibility in parts of the province.
Much of northwestern Alberta is under a special air quality statement.
Individuals may experience symptoms, such as increased coughing, throat irritation, headaches or shortness of breath. Children, seniors and those with cardiovascular or lung disease, such as asthma, are especially at risk.
If you experience breathing difficulties, find an indoor place that’s cool and ventilated.
Alberta Wildfire recommends checking FireSmoke.ca to find out where the smoke is coming from.

Financial supports

Evacuees should check alberta.ca/emergency for updates on evacuation payment eligibility.
Evacuees in need of financial assistance for immediate needs can apply for an Income Support program emergency needs allowance. This benefit may cover your accommodation, clothing and other urgent needs. Please call 1-877-644-9992 for more information.
You may qualify for the evacuation payment if you:
- were living, working or vacationing in the affected area
- were forced to leave due to an evacuation order
- paid for most of your costs to evacuate
- were forced to leave your residence (primary, working or vacationing) due to a mandatory evacuation order – current communities include:
  - High Level
  - Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement
  - Bushe River
  - Chateh
  - Meander River
  - Wabasca-Desmarais
  - Bigstone Cree Nation 166 A, B, C and D
  - Sandy Lake
  - Chipewyan Lake Village
  - Keg River
  - Carcajou
  - Northern border of the County of Northern Lights to Township Road 922 (Notikewin Road)
  - Steen River
  - Trout Lake
Albertans who qualify will receive $1,250 and $500 for each dependent child under 18 living in the same home when the evacuation order was given.
Application methods:
Apply online through the MyAlberta Evacuation Payment application using a smart-phone, device or desktop. Interac e-transfers may take 24 hours to process.
If you’re in the Edmonton area and from an eligible community, please visit the Edmonton Expo Centre, 7515 118 Ave before 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 6 or between 8:30 a.m. and noon on Friday, June 7.
- Parking is free for evacuees. Let the parking attendant know the purpose of your visit.
You can also apply in-person at Calling Lake Community Complex, Central Drive and 1 Street before 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 6 if you’re from:
Wabasca-Desmarais
Carcajou
Sandy Lake
Chipewyan Lake Village
Keg River
Bigstone Cree Nation 166 A, B, C and D
Northern border of the County of Northern Lights to Township Road 922 (Notikewin Road)
If you’re not in the Edmonton or Calling Lake areas, contact 310-4455 to find the nearest payment distribution centre.
Photo identification
Proof of residence or presence in the community
Identification for dependent children if claiming for them
If you are visiting a payment distribution centre, please bring:
More than 10,300 individuals have received evacuee support, and more than $10.4 million has been distributed.

Reception and call centres

All evacuees should register with an evacuation reception centre, even if you’ve found alternate accommodations.
Some reception centres have been demobilized. This means evacuees are able to contact the centres by phone. If there is a need, staff will assist them on an individual basis:
- Grande Prairie – 780-567-5587
Reception centres are open at:
Peace River Misery Mountain Ski Hill (10408 89 Street)
Calling Lake Recreation Centre (2870 Central Drive)
Back Lakes Arena (249 Red Earth)
Evacuation reception centre hours can be found at emergency.alberta.ca.
The Alberta Government’s call centre will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Friday, June 7 at 310-4455.

Highway updates

To stay informed on all road closures due to the wildfires, visit 511.Alberta.ca or download the mobile app.

Insurance information

Most home and tenant insurance policies provide coverage for living expenses during an evacuation.
Evacuees should retain all of their receipts for food, accommodation and other related expenses to provide to their insurer.
Albertans can contact the Insurance Bureau of Canada at 1-844-227-5422 or by email at [email protected]. Information about insurance coverage is available online at ibc.ca/ab/disaster/alberta-wildfire.

Justice and legal matters

High Level Court matters will resume in High Level on Monday, June 10 at 8:15 a.m.
Community Corrections and Release will resume operations out of High Level at 8:15 a.m. on Friday, June 7.
Chateh Court matters will be heard in High Level Court until further notice. Please contact the High Level Court at 780-926-3715 for inquiries.
Fort Vermilion Court matters will resume immediately, as scheduled. Please call 780-926-3715 for inquiries.
Wabasca Desmarais matters will continue to be held in High Prairie until further notice. Please contact the High Prairie Court at 780-523-6600 regarding any matters scheduled.
If you have an appointment with a probation officer in an evacuated area, report to the community corrections office nearest you. Please call 780-427-3109 (to call toll-free, first dial 310-0000) for information.
If you are an intermittent server in an evacuated area, call the Peace River Correctional Centre at 780-624-5480 (to call toll-free, first dial 310-0000).

Education

The schools of Fort Vermilion School Division will remain closed for the remainder of the school year. Students wishing to write a diploma exam, Grade 6 or Grade 9 provincial achievement tests should make arrangements with the Fort Vermilion School Division. For further information visit: fvsd.ab.ca.
School officials in fire-impacted areas will address the impacts of disruption on the academic program and school year. Students or their guardians should watch for online or direct communications from local school authorities about specific changes.

Provincial park closures

Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park trails and day-use areas, including the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation, are open. Campgrounds remain closed.
Twin Lakes Provincial Recreation Area, Moose Lake Provincial Park and Notikewin Provincial Park are closed.
Calling Lake Provincial Park campground is closed to accommodate evacuees from the MD of Opportunity. Any campground reservations will be refunded.

Boil water advisory

A boil water advisory is in place for Meander River (Dene Tha’ First Nation).

Health

Mental health support is available by calling Alberta’s 24-hour help line at 1-877-303-2642, the Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322, or Health Link at 811.
Alberta Health Services is providing support to the reception centres. These supports include addiction and mental health, Indigenous health liaisons, nursing, emergency medical services, public health and home care.
The Northwest Health Centre in High Level is open, with all emergency, laboratory, X-ray, mental health and community health departments open.
Alberta Health Services will be providing enhanced addiction and mental health services to help residents in High Level following the evacuation.
New, temporary walk-in services for individuals experiencing addiction and mental health concerns are available seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Mental Health Clinic at Northwest Health Centre in High Level. Scheduled visits with new and existing clients will resume on Monday, June 10, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, please call the clinic directly at 780-841-3229.
Alberta Health Services has relocated acute patients and continuing care residents from La Crete and Fort Vermilion to health facilities in Edmonton and surrounding communities.
The emergency department at St. Theresa General Hospital in Fort Vermilion remains open.

Pets and livestock

High Level animal control has collected household pets that have been left behind. For questions regarding your pets, please call 780-926-2201.
For evacuees in the Wabasca area, please fill out an online form on the Alberta Animal Disaster Response Facebook group, or text 403-869-4964 and provide your name, contact number, number of animals missing, where they were last seen, and a brief description of your pet.
The County of Northern Lights will allow residents to enter property to look after livestock between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Residents must first go to the county office to register for the temporary access pass.

Electricity and natural gas billing

High Level and area residential, farm, irrigation and small commercial electricity and natural gas customers affected by the evacuation will not be billed for the period covered by the order.

Donations and volunteers

High Level is not accepting donations or volunteers at this time.
The Town of Slave Lake has set up an online form for offers.
Check the Mackenzie County Facebook page for an up-to-date list of donations needed and drop-off locations.

Canada Post

Mail service has been suspended in:

High Level, Meander River, Chateh, Paddle Prairie, Keg River, Wabasca, Notikewin, Hotchkiss, Trout Lake
- High Level evacuees can pick up mail from the Slave Lake Post Office
- Chateh evacuees can pick up mail at the Fort Vermilion Post Office
- Meander River evacuees can pick up mail at the La Crete Post Office

Mail service has been restored in:

Fort Vermilion, La Crete, Rainbow Lake, Zama City

If you require urgent access to critical items, such as medications and passports, please call 1-800-267-1177. You may be able to arrange for pick up at the Slave Lake Post Office (100 2 Street NE).

Mail will be held at the Edmonton depot until mail service resumes.

Check the Canada Post website for updates.

Income Support, Alberta Supports and AISH

Evacuees receiving the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped or the Income Support program by cheque rather than electronic deposit can pick up their cheque at their nearest Alberta Supports Centres.
If you are in La Crete, you can pick up your cheque at the local reception centre. If you receive your benefits via direct deposit, your payment will be deposited as usual.
For information on child intervention and child care, call 1-800-638-0715.
Persons with developmental disabilities, their families or contracted service providers can call the nearest Alberta Supports Centre for assistance.
For additional information on social benefits, or to find a list of Alberta Supports Centres, call 1-877-644-9992 provincewide between 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Employment insurance: evacuees can visit Service Canada online to apply at www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei.html. Use code 4812014812201900.

Health card, driver’s licences, ID cards, birth certificate

To get a replacement Health Care Insurance Card call 780-427-1432 or toll free at 310-0000 and then 780-427-1432 when prompted. Your Alberta Personal Health Card can be mailed to a temporary address.
If driver’s licences, identification cards, and/or birth certificates were left behind during the evacuation, replacement cards and certificates can be ordered free of charge at a registry agent.

Public information

You can call 310-4455 for more information.

Related information

Lloyd Lewis

www.todayville.com

President Todayville Inc., Honorary Colonel 41 Signal Regiment, Board Member Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Award Foundation, Director Canadian Forces Liaison Council (Alberta) musician, photographer, former VP/GM CTV Edmonton.

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Alberta

Natural gas connection to breathe new life into former Alberta ghost town

Published on August 29, 2025

Todayville

From the Canadian Energy Centre

By Cody Ciona

Nordegg looks forward to lower energy costs and improved reliability

More than a century after its founding, the former ghost town of Nordegg, Alta. is getting natural gas service, promising lower costs and more reliable energy for homes and businesses.

“Natural gas will be a huge game changer, especially for commercial use,” said Clearwater County Reeve Michelle Swanson.

The former coal mining town is no stranger to cold winters. During Alberta’s cold snap in January 2024, the hamlet broke its cold weather record reaching a bone chilling -45.8 degrees Celsius.

In the 1920s, Nordegg — tucked into the foothills of the Rockies about two hours west of Red Deer — was home to Alberta’s most productive coal mine, a fuel supply primarily for steam locomotives.

But demand declined following the Leduc No. 1 oil discovery in 1947, and the mine closed in 1955.

The population dwindled from a peak of nearly 3,000 people to as few as 27 at one point, said Swanson.

Today, about 90 people call the hamlet home, and the future is looking brighter.

“We’re slowly building up. We have more full time residents. We have businesses that are looking to locate there, a couple hotels. Tourism is the area’s primary industry,” Swanson said.

By adding access to natural gas and installing new fibre optic internet, Nordegg will be able to sustain new growth and attract development, she said.

In July, the Alberta government announced $2.5 million in funding to help build an 11-kilometre pipeline connecting the hamlet to a nearby gas plant. The $8-million project is also funded by the county and the Rocky Gas Co-Op.

With the new gas connection, residents could save up to 25 per cent on their utility bills, according to the province.

Swanson said that right now people in Nordegg get their energy from electricity, wood and propane.

“Electricity is the primary heat source, and your secondary is wood stoves and most of the businesses are also running off propane, because of the costs of electricity,” she said.

The biggest benefit of connecting to natural gas is reliability, she said.

“Number one is having the predictability that gas provides. It is going to be there on time. Propane, I mean, you can run out,” Swanson said.

Safety is another big factor in a region that can be prone to wildfires.

“I know our firefighters were worried that a wildfire could set off a lot of propane explosions, and that’s not helpful,” she said.

“At the end of the day to me, it’s all about the fact that you’re creating a safer community, and you’re having a more predictable fuel source.”

Pipeline construction began in February and is targeted for completion this fall.

Alberta

Alberta’s fiscal update—and $6.5 billion deficit—underscores need for spending reductions

Published on August 29, 2025

Todayville

From the Fraser Institute

By Tegan Hill

According to the Q1 fiscal update, the Alberta provincial government will run a $6.5 billion budget deficit this fiscal year—up from the $5.2 billion budget deficit projected in the February budget. This may come as a surprise to many on the heels of a $8.3 billion surplus in 2024/25, but it’s all part of Alberta’s ongoing resource revenue rollercoaster. And it’s time to get off the track.

Resource revenues, including oil and gas revenues, are inherently volatile. For perspective, over roughly the last decade, resource revenue has been as low as $2.8 billion in 2015/16, accounting for just 6.5 per cent of total revenue, and as high as $25.2 billion in 2022/23, accounting for 33.2 per cent of total revenue.

Alberta has a long history of enjoying budget surpluses when resource revenue is high, but inevitably falls back into deficits when resource revenue declines. And it’s no surprise we’re back here today.

According to the recent fiscal update, resource revenue will fall by $6.3 billion this year compared to last. That means that of the $14.8 billion swing in Alberta’s budget balance, nearly 43 per cent can be explained by a decline in resource revenue alone. And if resource revenue was the same level as last year, Alberta’s budget would nearly be balanced.

Deficits have real consequences. Consider Alberta’s last period of deficits, which went on nearly uninterrupted from 2008/09 to 2020/21. Alberta moved from a position of having more assets, such as the Heritage Fund, than it did debt, resulting in a net debt position of $59.5 billion in 2020/21. Overall, Alberta’s net financial position deteriorated by $94.6 billion over the period. Correspondingly, Albertans went from having interest payments on provincial debt of approximately $58 per person in 2008/09 to $564 in 2020/21 (that number is expected to surpass $705 per person by 2027/28).

Fortunately, Alberta isn’t doomed to the boom and bust cycle.

The key is understanding that Alberta’s fiscal challenges are not actually a revenue problem—they’re a spending problem. Indeed, the underlying issue is that governments typically increase spending during good times of relatively high resource revenue to levels that are unsustainable (without incurring deficits) when resource revenue inevitably declines. Put simply, ongoing spending levels significantly exceed stable ongoing revenue.

The provincial government has made important strides in recent years by limiting spending growth to inflation and population growth. Unfortunately, spending levels were already so misaligned with stable, predictable revenue, that it is simply not sufficient to avoid deficits. Alberta needs meaningful spending reductions.

Fortunately, there’s some low hanging fruit to help get the province on track. For instance, Alberta spends billion of dollars annually dolling out subsidies to select businesses and industries. For perspective, in 2024/25, grants were the largest expense for the ministry of environment and the second largest expense for the ministry of technology and innovation. The provincial government should require that each ministry closely examine their budgets and eliminate business subsidies to yield savings.

According to the recent fiscal update, Alberta will continue to ride the resource revenue rollercoaster in 2025/26. It’s time to finally change course. That means meaningful spending reductions—and eliminating business subsidies is a good place to start.