Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to Hinton, Alta., on Monday to get an update on the Jasper wildfire, which has destroyed a third of the town, and to meet with the province’s premier.
Mr. Trudeau visited the mobile incident command centre in Hinton on Monday, but was not scheduled to visit the town of Jasper itself. He was scheduled to meet with evacuees from the municipality later in the afternoon.
Wearing a blue shirt with rolled-up sleeves and jeans, Trudeau entered the command centre, where he greeted Premier Danielle Smith and the province’s Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis. He also shook hands with wildfire officials and military personnel on the scene.
Consider reconstruction
After meeting Mr. Trudeau, Mr.me Smith told reporters there is work to be done in collaboration with the federal government to help Jasper rebuild, and she gave the example of temporary housing.
“This will be important, not only for the residents who have lost their homes, but also for seasonal workers and, above all, for all the labour that will be needed to help rebuild,” she said.
More than 20,000 people were evacuated from the town and Jasper National Park nearly two weeks ago as a wildfire moved closer to the area. The national park and townsite remain under an evacuation order.
Tribute to a missing firefighter
Bus trips from the devastated area to residents whose homes were destroyed or damaged began Monday, after being postponed Sunday because of the death of a firefighter battling the blaze.
During his visit to Hinton, Prime Minister Trudeau observed a minute of silence in tribute to the 24-year-old Calgary man who died Saturday after a tree fell on him. His identity has not been released.
Mr. Trudeau said he was heartbroken by the news and was thinking of the victim’s family, friends and fellow firefighters.
Damage assessment
Parks Canada has invited operators of essential services and retail businesses where essential goods are sold, such as gas stations, grocery stores, pharmacies and schools, to visit their properties starting Monday for an initial damage assessment.
The state-owned company explained that these visits would help to quickly restart these services, once conditions allow for the safe return of residents.
Over the weekend, the fire risk in Alberta remained at the high to extreme level.
Christie Tucker of Alberta Wildfire said at a provincial news conference Sunday that rain is forecast for Sunday and Monday, which will help firefighters battle numerous blazes across the province.