A Fort McMurray mom who fled last week’s wildfires is grateful for the support her family has received in St. Albert.
Kari Donnelly-Quick and her three children evacuated Fort McMurray on May 3. By next week they should move into a duplex home put up for rent last Sunday by a St. Albert resident.
“It is such a relief to know that our landlord has offered up their home, in which they lived,” said Donnelly-Quick. “They’re literally moving their own personal belongings out and moving into another home they have to accommodate my family. I can’t express the gratitude that I have. I can’t even put it into words.”
It is important to her that her children have a place where they can be comfortable.
“I am trying to get the kids back to some level of normal. To know that I can go into a safe home that’s well kept and well furnished – we just basically move our bags in and it’s like we’re at home.”
In the effort to achieve a sense of normalcy, the children have been enrolled in school in the city. Donnelly-Quick is happy the children have had a very easy transition into their schools. She says the staff and faculty at St. Albert Catholic High School and Neil M. Ross Catholic Elementary School have been very welcoming and accommodating.
“It has been such a seamless process. It’s like my kids have gone there their entire school career.”
Donnelly-Quick has been surprised by the overwhelming support her family has found all over the community.
“I had no idea that people could ever be this kind,” she said. “I knew people were kind, but the generosity, especially this landlord that we have, is just unbelievable.”
That kindness is especially important after the frightening journey from the scene of the wildfires..
“It was almost surreal,” she says. “When we left the city it was almost like a movie scene. It just seemed so unreal, there were flames everywhere.”
She remembers her family only having a short time to gather their belongings and pets before fleeing.
Due to the massive amount of traffic leaving Fort McMurray, the family waited at friend’s home that was not included in the preliminary evacuations until they were required to evacuate from there as well. After leaving the friend’s home, Donnelly-Quick says they had to travel to Anzac in order to fill their vehicles with gas before they were able to begin their journey to St. Albert.
She says they left Fort McMurray at approximately 8 p.m. and didn’t arrive in St. Albert until 10 a.m. the next day.
“We didn’t stop to sleep,” said Donnelly-Quick. “There were people along the highway, you know, cars stopped. People were camping out with campers if they had them. I think out of sheer exhaustion people had just pulled over to the side. The highway was dotted with cars.”
After the long journey, being in St. Albert has provided the family some comfort.
“The outpouring of support that the community has given my family is just incredible,” she said. “For a tragedy it’s been such a great experience in the community. For someone coming into St. Albert, they’ve made a really bad situation work for everyone.”
