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CTV News
17-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
M.D. of Opportunity offering to pay AHS to transport the dead as bodies lay on the side of the road for hours
The M.D. of Opportunity, a remote municipal district in northern Alberta, is penning a letter to Alberta Health Services (AHS), offering to pay for ambulances to transport people who die in the community to the hospital. They figure this will cost the M.D. around $500 per person and be well worth it. Coun. Darlene Jackson added the item to council's July 9 meeting agenda, because two young men had died in the community recently near a main road in Wabasca. Their bodies lay there, she said, covered with a blanket with their shoes sticking out for six hours. Jackson said she drove past with her grandchildren, who were traumatized. It was also hard on her, she told her council colleagues, and she can't imagine what it was like for the family. 'It's sad and unacceptable,' she said. The reason the bodies lay there for so long, Jackson explained, is that AHS ambulances are no longer allowed to transport dead people. In the past, the ambulance would transport the body, the staff would clean them up, and the family would be allowed to view the body. Viewing the body is important for Cree culture, she added. Reeve Marcel Auger had also driven past the scene as described and could see the effect that seeing the bodies had on his young nephews, who were in the car. 'They get traumatized by it,' he said. 'They know what they are seeing.' The only people allowed to touch the bodies are undertakers or coroners, said Kimball Newberry, Opportunity's acting chief administrative officer. However, the nearest undertakers are in Slave Lake, Athabasca and High Prairie. Slave Lake and Athabasca are both about an hour and half. High Prairie is two hours and forty minutes. Neither case was suspicious, so the body didn't have to stay there for the police to investigate, Jackson said. One died from health reasons by the fishing dock. The other died in a quadding collision. The families weren't even allowed to see the bodies. 'That's been a thing for a number of years,' said Coun. Tahirih Wiebe. In 2018, when her step-father was dying at home (which is what he wanted), the hospital told the family they would be responsible for transporting the body to the hospital. Thankfully, he didn't die at home, she said, otherwise she'd never have used her car again, after transporting him. 'I don't even know if the hospital will take them,' said Wiebe. Council agreed that something needed to be done about the situation. Coun. Gerald Johnson said he knew of a woman who cradled her dead child in the ditch after an accident for hours, waiting for the coroner. The police kept her safe with their vehicles, but couldn't move the body. Coun. Robin Guild suggested writing a letter to AHS. 'It's not right for the bodies to sit there for six hours,' he said. 'I don't understand why,' said Wiebe. 'If you're waiting for an investigator it is one thing.' She mentioned a man who froze to death in another community who was left there for hours. As a temporary measure, Auger suggested that the M.D. ask police if they have a pop-up tent they could put over people and maybe a fan to keep the body cool when it is hot. Wiebe said the M.D. fire department responds to calls, so they could maybe set up the tent. Pearl Lorentzen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeside Leader
CBC
05-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Nearly half of northern Alberta community destroyed as wildfires flare
As Albertans forced out by wildfires are being allowed to return home, other evacuees are learning their homes have been lost to the flames. During what has proven to be a devastating wildfire season across western Canada, the remote community of Chipewyan Lake has been among the hardest hit in Alberta in terms of damage to infrastructure. Close to half of the buildings in the small community, nestled in the boreal forests of northern Alberta about 450 kilometres north of Edmonton, have been destroyed. A wildfire swept through the remote community last week, hours after it was evacuated. Questions remain about how and when the community can rebuild, and where its 100 residents will live during the long recovery ahead. Chipewyan Lake lost some of its most critical community buildings, local emergency management officials with Bigstone Cree Nation and the MD of Opportunity No. 17 said Tuesday. Flyovers of the community show 38 structures and nine sheds destroyed. An additional 10 buildings have been damaged, while 38 structures appear intact. Marcel Auger, reeve of the municipal district, said an aerial assessment was completed by forestry officials on June 1. Ground surveys of the damaged buildings began Tuesday "The information is still not 100 per cent accurate until we have a boots-on-the-ground assessment completed," he said. "We will need to complete assessments of the community. We will also need to conduct a major cleanup and rebuild damaged infrastructure." The destroyed buildings include the Bigstone Health Centre, a local church and the community's water treatment plant — as well as homes and sheds. An aerial map released Wednesday shows the flames breached the community's sole entrance road before ripping through the heart of its streets, overlooking the southwest edge of the lake. Red dots, representing complete losses, dot the map. 'Committed to rebuilding' A wall of flames tore through the community on the evening of May 29, temporarily trapping eight firefighters overnight when their dispatch radios failed. The flames flared, consuming buildings and toppling trees, blocking the only road out. The firefighters were forced to take shelter overnight in a local school and fire hall before a rescue crew could cut a path through the downed trees. Andy Alook, chief of Bigstone Cree Nation — which is made up of Chipewyan Lake as well as the communities of Calling Lake and Wabasca — said local government officials are working closely in the wake of the disaster. "Our governments are committed to rebuilding the community of Chipewyan Lake," Alook said in Tuesday's update to evacuees. "We are lobbying both the federal and provincial governments to support the efforts." Officials are working to obtain temporary housing solutions as soon as possible in Wabasca and are discussing permanent housing solutions in Chipewyan Lake, Alook said. The fire threatening Chipewyan Lake has now consumed more than 132,170 hectares and continues to burn out of control. It's part of a complex of four wildfires in the region that has triggered ongoing evacuation orders in nearby communities including Red Earth Creek, Peerless Lake, Trout Lake and Loon River First Nation. Evacuation lifts in Swan Hills On Thursday afternoon, more than a week after evacuation orders were issued, the 1,300 residents of Swan Hills received word it is safe to return home. Evacuation orders have been downgraded and now changed to a four-hour evacuation alert. Residents of the town are allowed to return to the community as of 11 a.m. Thursday, but must be prepared to leave on short notice. A wildfire, covering more than 16,880 hectares, continues to burn about eight kilometres north of the town, around 220 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. As of Thursday morning, a total of 52 wildfires were burning across Alberta — 21 are out of control and eight are considered a current threat to nearby communities or critical infrastructure. While relatively cooler temperatures this week have helped firefighting efforts, conditions remain dry and the wildfire risk remains extreme in regions across the province. Around 4,000 Albertans have been forced to evacuate their homes. Thousands more have been put on evacuation alert and must be prepared to leave at a moment's notice.
Calgary Herald
04-06-2025
- Climate
- Calgary Herald
Wildfire live updates: Chipewyan Lake confirms 49 per cent structure loss
While Alberta wildfire activity did not escalate dramatically Tuesday night due in part to cooler weather and some precipitation, temperatures across the province are warming up Wednesday and expected to remain hot into the weekend. Crews are preparing for challenging firefighting conditions after a brief reprieve. Article content According to Environment Canada alerts, over 100 communities in the province are under air quality warnings or statements due to wildfire smoke. Article content Article content Article content Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario are also blanketed by wildfire smoke causing poor air quality and warnings from the national weather agency. Article content Article content While Alberta's smoke threat is primarily in the northwestern area of the province, sudden changes in weather could move smoke to other areas quickly. Article content Parts of the U.S. and Europe are also being affected by Canada's wildfire smoke. Article content A fire ban remains in place for northern and central parts of the province's Fire Protection Area, prohibiting wood fires on public or private land. Propane fire pits and barbecues are still allowed. Article content As of Wednesday morning, there were 53 fires burning in the province, with 24 of them classified as out of control. Over 490,000 hectares have burned in Alberta so far in 2025. Article content Article content Municipal District of Opportunity Reeve Marcel Auger and Bigstone Cree Nation Chief Andy Alook addressed Albertans on Tuesday to provide an update on the status of Chipewyan Lake fire damage. Article content Auger and Alook confirmed 38 structures and nine sheds were lost due to the fire in Chipewyan Lake. 10 other buildings were partially damaged. A further 38 structures are confirmed intact.
