East meets West: Metis community bonds with Fort McMurray fire victims

A Metis community in northern Alberta is hosting several families from Newfoundland and Labrador displaced by wildfires near Fort McMurray, deepening a bond that already existed between the two groups. 

"Kikino means 'our home' so we welcome people to our home," said Dave Thompson, manager at Kikino Silver Birch Resort and Campground.

Thompson said the lakeside resort, about three hours drive south of Fort McMurray, was already popular with Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who like to be near the water.

"Then three years ago I was invited to a wedding in Newfoundland and the hospitality they showed there is overwhelming," he said.

"They live similar to us. They hunt, they fish, they trap."

Many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who live in Fort McMurray have trailers at the resort, said Thompson, so when the evacuation order was issued he prepared for an onslaught of evacuees.

"We just started putting everything together. We knew they'd be bringing friends with them."

Thompson said so far, the Kikino community has hosted a dance for the evacuees, and cooked up a Jiggs dinner on Saturday.

They also made sure a nine-year-old girl got the birthday cake she wanted.

"She was so happy, you could see tears coming out of her eyes."

Clothes to counselling

Marvin and Holly Meintz are emotional talking about the support from Kikino residents.

"Everybody's been wonderful," said Holly, originally from Stephenville. "It's overwhelming actually, the kindness of strangers."

They believe their home, in downtown Fort McMurray, is still standing but said they may not be allowed back for weeks.

David Paul, originally from Gambo, said he is better off than most.

He has a seasonal lot, and a camper, so he's been able to help others, including a man from Halifax who was going to sleep in his truck.

"It's been unbelievable. I don't know where the stuff came from," said Paul about the mountains of supplies collected by volunteers.

Evacuees said they have been treated like family, given counselling as well as necessities like food and clothing.

Jason Russell, his wife and four-year-old son have been coming to the resort for years.

"We went to a meeting yesterday about putting our son in school in Kikino," he said

"They're opening up the doors in Kikino for any child that wants to go to school. We're going to send our boy to school in Kikino for the last month and a half." 

While Russell will go back to work soon, he said his family could be at Kikino all summer.