It含羞草研究社檚 been hard to find a hotel room in Hinton, Alta., lately.
Firefighters from across Canada and around the world have been calling the town of 10,000 home since late July after joining the fight against massive wildfires some 75 kilometres down the highway in Jasper National Park.
Also stationed in Hinton for the past few weeks have been Parks Canada, Red Cross and Alberta Emergency Management Agency personnel, as well as some of the 5,000 Jasper, Alta. residents ordered out on July 22.
Less than 48 hours after the evacuation order was issued, the fires reached the townsite and destroyed 358 buildings, or a third of the community含羞草研究社檚 structures. That included some 800 housing units.
An estimated $283 million in property value was wiped out.
Hinton officials and community leaders say the town will continue to do all it can to support its municipal neighbour, despite dealing with their own issues as a result of the fires.
含羞草研究社淲e all have colleagues and friends and family that live and work out of Jasper,含羞草研究社� said Tyler Waugh, executive director of the Hinton Chamber of Commerce.
含羞草研究社淎 lot of people didn含羞草研究社檛 even know how to help, but they just got into action and tried to do something just to show support.含羞草研究社�
Local restaurants have been preparing free meals for firefighters and evacuees, while community groups have been amassing donations to make sure those who lost everything have clothes and other basics.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e had more help and assistance for displaced people than we含羞草研究社檝e actually had displaced people,含羞草研究社� said Hinton含羞草研究社檚 Mayor Nicholas Nissen.
含羞草研究社淓veryone含羞草研究社檚 telling me that Hinton含羞草研究社檚 been great to work with, that the people of Hinton have been very welcoming, and that含羞草研究社檚 the community that I moved into and that含羞草研究社檚 the community I was attracted to originally.含羞草研究社�
Both Nissen and Waugh said many businesses have been struggling from lost visitors due to the park closure.
含羞草研究社淏usinesses have tried to do what they can 含羞草研究社� but a lot of them have been doing this to their own detriment,含羞草研究社� said Waugh, who also publishes and edits a weekly community newspaper called the Hinton Voice.
含羞草研究社淲hat we含羞草研究社檝e gone through pales in comparison. But at the same time, there含羞草研究社檚 a lot of businesses in town that are hurting right now.含羞草研究社�
The chamber is surveying businesses to get a clearer understanding of the fire含羞草研究社檚 direct impacts, but he said it含羞草研究社檚 possible some businesses have needed to lay off staff.
Not every business is in such dire straits.
The owner of the Hinton Home Hardware Building Centre said he含羞草研究社檚 hired extra staff in preparation for the rebuild as he含羞草研究社檚 expecting many Jasper residents will stop in for anything from cleaning supplies to new appliances now that they have been allowed to return home and start rebuilding.
含羞草研究社淎ll of a sudden the needs that we generally supply the community changed,含羞草研究社� said Marcel Preville, who has been running the hardware store since the fall of 2020.
Shortly after the fire hit town, Preville said he reached out to friends in Fort McMurray who went through its 2016 wildfire evacuation to get a better idea of what supplies he should keep in stock over the coming weeks and months.
He determined that fridges and freezers would be a priority.
含羞草研究社淪o within three days, we had 150 fridges and freezers sitting in our store,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淲e need to go in hard and fast and we need to co-ordinate everything and we need to get it in there because people want to get back to normal and they want to live in their homes and they need food 含羞草研究社� they含羞草研究社檙e tired of eating out.含羞草研究社�
Besides appliances, Preville said he含羞草研究社檚 stocked up on air filters for furnaces and air conditioners as well as cleaning supplies that won含羞草研究社檛 chemically react to the fire retardant used in Jasper. He also ordered extra duct tape.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 more prepared to be able to help the community next to our community than our community,含羞草研究社� he said.
Considering the likelihood that not every Jasper resident will return and rebuild, like what was seen after the Fort McMurray fire, Nissen said he thinks Hinton is in a 含羞草研究社渦nique含羞草研究社� position to absorb a sudden population increase, whether it含羞草研究社檚 temporary or permanent.
含羞草研究社淚 think that we will absorb the folks that we need to fairly well,含羞草研究社� said Nissen. 含羞草研究社淲e even have plenty of land, we can get work camps and temporary housing set up as needed.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淗inton is going to be here, and we含羞草研究社檙e going to continue to do everything we can to support our neighbours and help them get their paradise built back to paradise standards.含羞草研究社�
Welcoming Jasper residents back to the national park on Friday morning was Hinton含羞草研究社檚 fire chief Mac de Beaudrap.
Standing next to a Hinton fire truck on the side of Highway 16 that morning, through rain, clouds and sunshine, he waved to each and every group headed home.
Many honked, smiled, and waved right back.
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Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
