Disaster | In the Net! – Pictures and Stories of Life

We have smoky skies right now because of another fire, but it’s nothing like the smoke, embers, and fires many others in this country are presently facing: evacuations, air rescues and lifts, loss of homes and possessions, appalling environmental damage … all I can say in the positive is that at least no one has been hurt.

Right now, Canada is facing its worse fire season in recorded history. We’re the second-largest country in the world (after Russia), almost half of that expanse is forest, and a lot of it is presently on fire. So far, an area the size of Portugal has already burned.

There are so many fires that they have to be triaged; in other words, the most threatening to human life and property get the most attention. While many fire fighters from around the world have selflessly come to help, there aren’t enough in the world to deal with all these fires; a sad and wrenching fact.

I hope the many fires we are experiencing throughout the country are soon extinguished, especially in the Northwest Territories where the damage has been extreme and the threat is still very present. Yellowknife, the capital, is now being evacuated.

Right now we need a lot of this …

followed by a lot of this …

Wish us luck. 🍀

Program for 1912 Calgary Exhibition and Stampe... — Program for 1912 Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, front cover (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Two weeks ago, Calgary, home of the Stampede, the world’s biggest rodeo, was inundated by flood waters. If you saw any of the coverage on television or Youtube or if you live there, then you know what it was like. Other nearby communities were also flooded, especially High River, which was hit particularly hard. Four people died and the property damage has been astronomical.

Mayor Neheed Nenshi’s skills as a leader were tested in a big way, and he succeeded in a big way. His calm, common sense approach to all the work that needed to be done established a calm, common sense method for dealing with the situation. As a result, there was very little crime or idiocy and people helped each other wherever and whenever they could. All the first responders and City of Calgary employees knocked themselves out.

Today, Calgary begins its 127th Stampede. The last two weeks have been a hard slog to get ready for it. Some of it had to be scaled back because of water damage, but the show is going ahead, as usual.

Calgary has managed to pull through this disaster with grit, determination, dignity and respect.

Happy Stampede, Calgary! You’re a class act.