Fort Mac Wildfire Thread

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Locke

I'm quoting this so she cant edit it. Because this was great.

I'm definitely keeping that line in my inventory.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Acey

Image source (Global)

I drove under that bridge at 12:30 last night and they were still there.

I wonder if they are there 24/7 for the next few days.

Pretty amazing.

There is still lots of fire fighting activity around as well.

[habernac]

Reading some good stories in my feed. One person I know even came home and their beta fish was still alive after a month without food. It's not all doom and gloom.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by habernac

Reading some good stories in my feed. One person I know even came home and their beta fish was still alive after a month without food. It's not all doom and gloom.

sounds more like an alpha fish

[habernac]

Another friend went home today. Here's an excerpt from what he experienced.

Standing at the front of the house it's easy to see why people want to stay, the grass is green, the sky was blue, birds singing, it was a perfect day Until we went to the back yard. WOW, the sight that greeted us stopped me in my tracks and brought us to instant tears. The trees are gone. Just gone. What was lush green forest with a trail through it is a large patch of mud where the trees were bulldozed, bordered by burnt trees like an invading army stopped in its tracks. I can't imagine what it's like to see your home gone given how much that simple scene impacted us. My heart really goes out to all of you that can't go home, I wish I had words to make it better but I don't. I'm sorry for that.

It still amazes me how emotional I am about a place I haven't lived in for 20 years.

[Dion]

The Okotoks Dawgs and their great baseball fans donated close to $8,000 tonight to the Red Cross and it's efforts to help the residents of Fort McMurray. Proceeds from the 50/50 ticket sales totaling $2,792 were raised. Local firefighters went through the stands asking fans to stuff their boots and came away with $4,000 in donations. Finally the ball team itself chipped in another $1,000 towards the cause.

A group of firefighters from High River who helped fight the wild fires in Fort McMurray were introduced to fans and recieved a standing ovation as players and coaches from both teams shook their hands.

[Knut]

Email from the Red Cross about where our support went.

How your support is helping
Having trouble viewing this message? Click here to view online. | Français
Canadian Red Cross

How your support is helping
“The pain we feel every time we are reminded of the devastating wildfire is being lessened due to the kind-hearted individuals and organizations that are extending their loving arms to us.” - Fort McMurray evacuee

Dear supporter,

After weeks of stress and uncertainty, the people of Fort McMurray are starting to make their way home.

For many, the road back will not be easy. But thanks to the generosity of people like you, $48 million has already been provided to more than 38,000 households.

This week, we announced the following additional support to impacted individuals and their community:

$15 million to help people get back home, through flights and bus transportation
$25 million in cash assistance to help people purchase essential household supplies
$50 million in grants to empower the community to rebuild

You have already given so much to help the people of Fort McMurray deal with this disaster the moment it struck.

But now, your support is helping them as they take the first steps towards returning home. And in the weeks and months ahead, you will make it possible for thousands of impacted people to rebuild their lives and their community.

Thank you for your compassion and your commitment to help.


Ronan Ryan
Chief Emergency Fundraising Officer

[zyzz]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

What a childish overreaction. nik's joke was a an obvious harmless joke, I really doubt anyone from Fort McMurray would be offended because someone poked fun at how horrible Nickleback is.

This guy.

[calgarygeologist]

This must be a really brutal situation for any of the residents that returned to the building.

Fort McMurray apartment complex goes up in flames
Just as residents settle into their new lives in beleaguered city, fire strikes once again
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...fire-1.3619640

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

This must be a really brutal situation for any of the residents that returned to the building.

Fort McMurray apartment complex goes up in flames
Just as residents settle into their new lives in beleaguered city, fire strikes once again
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...fire-1.3619640

One of the guys at our site lives in that building. ####ing brutal.

[justafan]

James Taylor concert tonight. He is donating 100% of proceeds to Fort Mac fire via Red Cross.

[Madman]

A huge tip of the hat to the Calgary firefighters that went up and helped out - the last crew that just returned may have had it the worst though.

After a 12-hour shift dousing wildfire hot spots surrounding Fort McMurray, Calgary firefighters were called to a three-alarm blaze that ripped through a sprawling apartment complex in the northern city on Monday.

“It was bad luck,” said Capt. Hank Huculak, who was among the Calgary Fire Department’s last deployment to Fort McMurray in response to devastating wildfires.

The crews had spent the day searching for hot spots around the community’s perimeter, digging them out and pouring in water.

“We were really, really beat up, really dehydrated,” Huculak said. “We were being decommissioned, going back to the hotel when they called us in, just because of the size of that call.”

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...-fort-mcmurray

[Acey]

Oh boy.

News Update

South African firefighters who made international headlines for singing when they arrived in Canada have now turned to protest songs over the wages they're being paid.

About 300 firefighters who came to Alberta last month to help fight the Fort McMurray fire did not report for work Wednesday because of a pay dispute.

Bitiro Moseki is one of the firefighters based at a camp north of Fort McMurray. He said they are being paid $15 a day.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...623422?cmp=rss

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Acey

Oh boy.

News Update

South African firefighters who made international headlines for singing when they arrived in Canada have now turned to protest songs over the wages they're being paid.

About 300 firefighters who came to Alberta last month to help fight the Fort McMurray fire did not report for work Wednesday because of a pay dispute.

Bitiro Moseki is one of the firefighters based at a camp north of Fort McMurray. He said they are being paid $15 a day.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...623422?cmp=rss

uhhhh did you stop reading there Acey??

It shows the firefighters signed a contract that stated they would be paid a total of $50 a day, split into two payments.

The contract agrees to pay them $15 a day now, with the balance of $35 a day paid out within six months of their return to South Africa.

...

The contract does make it clear the money the firefighters are being paid is over and above their home wages, which were not disclosed.

[Acey]

Uhh yeah I read the story. Even if they ought to be working, they aren't... therefore it's still a problem, yeah? Do you agree?

[flamesfan1297]

Even though that's over and above their home wage, that still seems ridiculously low. Surely we could pay them a little more than 50$ per day! That's less than a minimum age worker in Canada makes!

[Locke]

Originally Posted by flamesfan1297

Even though that's over and above their home wage, that still seems ridiculously low. Surely we could pay them a little more than 50$ per day! That's less than a minimum age worker in Canada makes!

And I'm no Labour Lawyer but I recall that one cannot contractually opt out of labour laws.

So the Alberta Government is breaking their own laws if this is true.

These guys are getting paid less than McDonald's workers if this is true.

Way to make us look like amateur hour.

Could you imagine being one of these guys fighting fires next to guys being paid significantly more than what they're making?

I'd be thinking: Screw you, fight your own fire, I didnt have to come halfway across the world for this nonsense.

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by Locke

And I'm no Labour Lawyer but I recall that one cannot contractually opt out of labour laws.

So the Alberta Government is breaking their own laws if this is true.

These guys are getting paid less than McDonald's workers if this is true.

Way to make us look like amateur hour.

Could you imagine being one of these guys fighting fires next to guys being paid significantly more than what they're making?

I'd be thinking: Screw you, fight your own fire, I didnt have to come halfway across the world for this nonsense.

It would appear that the $50/day is essentially uplift or LOA since it is over and above their regular pay (which they are still receiving). As far as I know, barring a union agreement, there is no real legal standard for uplift or LOA.

They also wouldn't be contracting out of labor laws since they have don't have any contract with an Alberta entity, they are employed by a SA entity. All the GOA is doing is paying a flat rate per person.

[wretched34]

"we're not here for the money, we're here to help, and until you think otherwise, we're not going to do what we're here for"
Thanks for clearing up that moral dilemma.

[Violator]

This kinda stuff happens all the time in the oil sands and its not surprising it's happening during this economic situation we are in.