Town sending $5,000 to Fort McMurray fire relief

May 12, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
The Town of Caledon is pitching in on the relief effort in light of the massive wild fires in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Town council Tuesday night passed a motion to donate $5,000 to the Red Cross, Alberta Fires Appeal. The funds will come from the Town’s Corporate Accounts Grant Account.
The preamble to the motion stated that the fire has forced all 70,000 Fort McMurray residents to leave their homes in search of safety – the largest fire-related evacuation in the province’s history, and some of these people are in need of emergency supplies, such as food, clothing, shelter, personal services, etc.
Mayor Allan Thompson opened Tuesday meeting with an acknowledgement of the situation in Alberta, observing that many of the residents of Fort McMurray would have been forced from their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs.
“I can’t imagine how difficult it would have been for them,” he commented.
Thompson also had praise for the firefighters who have been battling the blaze, as well as municipal officials who have been providing aid and support.
“They’re all heroes,” he declared.
He also pointed out the Town has been willing to help out during emergency situations elsewhere in Ontario, and has offered aid with refugees arriving in the area.
Councillor Rob Mezzapelli, himself a professional firefighter, put forth the motion.
“It’s an extremely unfortunate event,” he remarked.