As you may know, one of our member communities, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (Fort McMurray) is currently dealing with a significant wildfire.

From the most recent media reports, it appears the current priorities are safety/evacuation of residents and protecting valuable infrastructure.

As in previous disasters, EDA reached out earlier today to our members in order to let them know that our thoughts and prayers are with them, their families and community leaders as they deal with the immediate crisis and plan for the eventual recovery and rebuilding efforts. We have also advised them we would be happy to help garner resources and support from our organization and membership if, and when the need for the economic disaster recovery becomes a higher priority. As you may recall, after the floods in Southern Alberta a few years ago, EDA spearheaded the Economic Disaster Recovery Project (EDRP), which provided help and support to those communities adversely affected by the floods.  

As the situation in Fort McMurray develops, if EDA is able to play a role in the economic disaster recovery component, we will definitely be communicating with our membership to let you know what that could look like and how to get involved. We have already received offers of support from our international, national and provincial economic development partners to assist when and if a response is required.

In the interim, I would like to share one of the resources we developed during the EDRP, our Recovery and Resiliency Roadmap: A Toolkit for Economic Preparedness. It is a great guide for communities and elected officials to help prepare for, respond to and recover from various types of economic disruptions. 

As an organization committed to Alberta's economic prosperity, and supporting those who are working on the front lines every day, EDA stands ready and willing to help the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo recover as quickly as possible.

Sincerely, 

Leann Hackman-Carty, CEO