Wildfire evacuees line up for government debit cards
Posted May 11, 2016 5:48 pm.
Last Updated May 12, 2016 7:48 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It didn’t take long for lineups to grow following Wednesday’s news that the NDP Government’s debit cards for wildfire evacuees were available.
In Calgary, card pickups started at 2 p.m. at the BMO Centre and at McMahon Stadium.
Officials reported roughly 200 people were waiting when the doors opened at BMO, followed by a steady stream, while there was a much larger line-up at McMahon.
Line-ups are expected to be long Thursday, as well.
The cards are $1,250 per adult and $500 per child.
At BMO, Wray Brock, along with his wife and children, said they’ll use theirs for basic necessities.
“We’re staying with friends and it’s going to pay for groceries,” he said. “We just spent a whole bunch of some emergency money that we got from the insurance company on clothes and stuff, we’re in a vehicle, so now of course we’re going to need gas.”
Money is even more important for Brock and his family right now, as he was unemployed when the wildfire started and was supposed to start a job after the evacuation happened.
Although that job is still active, he still has to wait until the government allows evacuees back in the city.
“We’re not completely out of it, we’re just on hold.”
The cash is just as critical for Nardos Weldemaraam, a student who just finished her courses and was also about to start work.
She arrived in line an hour and a half before the doors opened.
“I actually need it so bad,” she said. “So grateful, God bless the government to be honest.”
Weldemaraam has only been in Fort McMurray a short time and her home in downtown is fine as far as she knows, but she said she isn’t celebrating.
“For other people who are born and raised there, have their family and houses there, I don’t even know what they’re going through, like what I’m going through, I can’t compare,” she said. “It’s sad.”
Walking in with his son, picking up the card is another stop for Chuck MacPherson, who will eventually be traveling back out east to the Maritimes so his children can finish school.
“It’s going to be important seeing as we have no income coming in at all, it’s going to be months before we get back up to Fort Mac,” he said, adding it isn’t easy to be away. “If I could get there tomorrow, I’d go.”
“Absolute nightmare, when you’re driving out of your city and you see it in flames, it’s not cool and you got your kids wondering is there going to be anything left there?”
MacPherson and his family stayed on the side of the road in Anzac the first night, before staying in Bonnyville for a week and then to Calgary with friends before flying out.
Brock is also staying with friends, while Weldemaraam is at Ambrose University.
Along with her, to the best of Brock and MacPherson’s knowledge, their homes are also standing.
