Nearly 500 evacuees from Jasper have arrived in Calgary with more expected as the wildfire in their community continues to burn out of control.
As of Thursday morning, 465 evacuees had registered at the city’s evacuee reception centre at Shouldice Arena to receive hotel rooms, mental-health support and pet supplies.
The residents, workers and tourists from Jasper were forced out of the National Park as a wildfire encroached upon the townsite, and they’ve watched on the news and social media the videos and photos showing the destruction to large parts of the area.
“It’s just been a rough stretch (these) last couple days and we’re all just trying to come together as one and, you know, Jasper’s a tight-knit community,” said Rhett Fleming, who has lived in Jasper for five years.
“The people I know who have been in that community for 40, 50, 60 years, their lives are all …