Evacuee Resources

Evacuation Zones and Their Reception Centres

Reception centres (click for directions):

• Grande Prairie – Bonnets Energy Centre, 10017 99 Avenue
• Calgary – Shouldice Arena, 1515 Home Road NW  |  Learn more
• Edmonton – Kennedale Site Building #2, 12814 58 Street  |  Learn more

Register online or in-person at the reception centre identified for your community so staff can quickly assist you and connect you with the resources you need.

• If travelling to Grande Prairie: Take Highway 16 west to Prince George, proceed north via Highway 97, then south on Highway 2 and back east to Grande Prairie via Highway 43.
• If travelling to Calgary: Take Highway 5 south to Kamloops, then proceed east on Highway 1 to Calgary.
• If travelling from Grande Prairie to Edmonton: Take Highway 43 south, then go east on Highway 16 to Edmonton.

Check jasper-alberta.ca for the latest information.

Grand Prairie Update 2024-07-29

Jasper Wildfire Evacuees | Update #5 | July 29 – 4 p.m.

- For evacuees: Starting July 30, the reception centre is moving from Bonnetts Energy Centre to Holiday Inn and Suites (9816 107 St). Hours of operation remain the same from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

- Alberta Health Services mental health counselling will be on-site at the Holiday Inn and Suites, 9817-107 Street from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. today.

- Starting July 30, Crouse's Cleaners will be providing laundry services for all registered evacuees.

- 300 evacuees are currently registered in Grande Prairie.

- The Government of Alberta is hosting a telephone town hall tonight for Albertans who have been evacuated, to receive updates on the wildfire situation and answers to their questions. If unable to join, a recording will be available after the event. Information:

Monday, July 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

How to participate:

Phone: 1-833-380-0691

Listen and ask questions online: Access Live (teleforumonline.com)

Full details on GPREP's website here: https://www.gprep.ca/2024-jasper-wildfire-evacuees/

Stay connected to the latest updates at gprep.ca

No Updates

Information for Landlord and Tenants in Alberta Regarding Wildfires: https://www.landlordandtenant.org/after-fire-landlords-tenants/

Emergency Funds

Alberta Government Emergency Funds
Albertans who evacuated from Jasper due to wildfires can now apply for an emergency evacuation payment.

Eligible applicants will receive funding of $1250 per adult and $500 per dependent child. Funds sent via e-transfer can take up to 24 hours to flow into accounts.

Evacuees can apply for the payment at alberta.ca/Emergency using a verified Alberta.ca account, which allows Albertans to prove who they are without paper documents or face-to-face visits.

Eligible evacuees who are unable to receive their emergency evacuation payments via e-transfer can go to 16 Alberta Support Centres with extended hours to pick up a debit card. The cards are also available at the Edmonton and Calgary evacuation centres.

To find out more, visit alberta.ca/Emergency

Other Emergency Assistance

Evacuees who have a disability, medical condition or other family needs and are unable to stay in an evacuation centre can request emergency financial assistance to cover hotel accommodations.

To apply:

• visit an Alberta Supports Centre
• call the Income Support Contact Centre at 1-866-644-5135

Employment Insurance

https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/contact/employment-insurance-employers.html

First off, stay calm. Roads are busy and smoky so don't make things worse. Watch for emergency crews. There will be efforts to get gas to those that are stranded. Check the Alberta Road Conditions: https://511.Alberta.ca

The Government of Canada has this page with some supports for First Nations evacuees: https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1686078907307/1686078925161

For free 24/7 information and referral line, or if you need any other supports dial 211 or call the Wildfire Resource Line: 310-4455.

Alberta Health Services has an emergency resource page found here.

Replacement Health Care Insurance Cards are available at no cost. Phone 780-427-1432 (for toll free, dial 310-0000 first). Your Alberta Personal Health Card can be mailed to a temporary address.

Anyone in the Bow Valley needing clothing, bedding, food, toiletries, shoes, backpacks or literally anything head on over to 100B 56 Lincoln Park in Canmore 

Food and supplies are available at the Evacuation Reception Centres. See the list above.

Pet rescues being conducted with coordination by Hinton SPCA (Friday PM - not sure how long this will be in effect): https://www.facebook.com/share/p/EmgB7beF8GRcd7Zi/?mibextid=oFDknk

• Evacuated farmers and ranchers: can
  • contact the wildfire resource line at 310-4455 with agriculture and livestock related questions
  • should register at the reception centre identified for their community so staff can quickly assist them and connect them with the resources they need
  • may need re-entry permits if they want to go back into an evacuated area to check on livestock, and should check with their municipality before entering
• If you have left a pet behind in an evacuated area and need someone to check on it, contact the Alberta SPCA at 1-800-455-9003.
• If you have questions about your pet, call 310-4455, or check with the reception centre identified for your community. Staff can assist and connect you with the appropriate resources.
• Edmonton Humane Society has supports for evacuees and their pets and has some options for those that want to help evacuees. https://www.edmontonhumanesociety.com/education/resources-for-pet-guardians/wildfire-supports/

• Parachutes for Pets
  403-305-9677
  https://www.parachutesforpets.com/

  Jasper has been evacuated and people with pets are heading to Calgary. Parachutes for Pets is here to help with pet supplies, shelter, vet care, and any other urgent needs for these evacuees.

Alberta Supports Contact Centre: 1-866-644-5135

• If you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed or need to talk, call the mental health helpline at 1-877-303-2642.
• To access digital supports or find local services near you, call or text INFO to 211, or visit ab.211.ca.
• Virtual counselling services are available through Counselling Alberta by calling 1-833-827-4230 or at www.counsellingalberta.com.
• Psychologists’ Association of Alberta: 3 free sessions with a volunteer psychologist. 1-888-424-0297 | paa(at)paa-ab.ca
• Addiction Help Line: 1-866-332-2322
• First Nations & Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310
• Crisis Text Line Text: “CONNECT” to 741741
• Alberta 211: 211 Alberta is a 24/7 crisis line and single point of contact for digital supports and services near you – no matter where you are in the province. Call or text 'INFO' to 211 or visit ab.211.ca.
• Text4hope: Text HOPEAB to 393939 to subscribe.
• Health Link: 811

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868, www.KidsHelpPhone.ca

• If you can get to a pharmacy, pharmacist can use NetCare to look up and replace previous medications.
• Can always call PADIS to ask about medications, available 24/7. 1-800-332-1414
• If need to get in contact with someone in the care of Alberta Health Services that has been evacuated, call HealthLink at 811.
• First Nations and Inuit Hope For Wellness: 1-855-242-3310

Evacuees can replace lost or left-behind Alberta driver’s licences, ID cards or birth certificates free of charge until June 29, 2023.

Driver's licence and ID cards

• Visit a registry agent. Find a location near you
• Registry agents will validate your identity and evacuation status.
• Your replacement card will arrive within 5 business days to the registry agent location where you applied or to an alternate mailing address in Alberta.

Birth certificates

• Visit a registry agent. Find a location near you
• Bring another form of ID with you or someone who you have known for more than one year who can vouch for your identity.
• Registry agents will validate your identity and evacuation status.
• Your replacement card will arrive within 2 to 3 business days to the registry agent location where you applied or to an alternate mailing address in Alberta.

Find a registry agent near you

Phone: 310-4455
Find a registry agent online

Learn more about replacing Alberta ID (PDF, 61 KB)

Due to the recent wildfires across Canada, The Government of Canada has introduced temporary special measures to help those directly affected by these wildfires.
If you’re directly affected by the wildfires, you can apply for free to

• replace citizenship, immigration or travel documents (including passports) that have been lost, damaged or destroyed
• extend or restore your temporary resident status
• transition from an employer-specific work permit to an open work permit if you’re unable to work for your current employer

These special measures start July 19, 2024 and end November 30, 2024.

Start here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/emergencies-canada/wildfires-2024.html

Protect yourself from unfair business practices and scams during the wildfire emergency.

To report suspected unfair business practices, including price gouging:

• Phone: 310-4455
• Email: cs(at)gov.ab.ca

If you see something suspicious or think you've been the target of a scam, report it to your local police or to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online.

Learn more about unfair business practices and scams (PDF, 409 KB)

Contact the Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP) if you need help with your payments because of wildfires.

No Updates.

No Updates.

Mandy Larsson‎ to Fort Mcmurray evac relocation help group

Dear evacuees. From my experience during the Slave Lake fires, I have some information. It may not pertain to everything you have gone through, or will go through, but it might help.

Don't believe everything you read or hear about everything being gone. Don't believe the media when they post photos and videos of total destruction. As that is unfortunately the case in some areas, it doesn't mean your home is gone. They were saying all of Slave Lake, Canyon Creek and surrounding areas were completely gone, during the fires; but in reality, 20% of Canyon Creek and Widewater were lost, and several blocks of homes were gone in Slave Lake. Not the entire city, as some people were reporting.

Be prepared to be gone 2 weeks, maybe more, probably not less. The will need to get the burned areas fenced off, gas lines capped, electric wires fixed, and water treatment running, all before they will let people back in. It's a big city, so this could take some time. It will also be very hot, and there were guns, or bullets I should say, erupting days after the fire stopped. So find a place you are comfortable staying for a while.

When you get home, your fridge and freezers will be garbage. They will probably give you duct tape to tape it closed and put it outside for collection. Hopefully nearby appliance locations are preparing to stock up, for the demand that will come. Don't open your fridge, unless you have a morbid desire to smell things that are rotten.

Keep every receipt you get from now on. Food, shelter, clothing, toiletries, gas, keep track of kms driven. Your insurance company should cover this, even if you haven't lost your home. It was a mandatory evacuation, which changes things.

When you get home, take photos of everything. You may need to wash everything fabric in your home (curtains, bedding, clothes in the closet, etc) as they will smell like smoke. Be prepared for that by not coming home late and hoping to sleep. You may not be able to.

If you need help coping with the devastation and fear and loss, seek help. Early

Good luck to you all. Alberta, and all of Canada is already stepping up to find ways to help! And though it may not seem like it now, your city will flourish again.️
Edited to Add, thanks to Delaine Langer!

Your furnace and air ducts should be cleaned!