After supporting evacuees in the Edmonton Expo Centre for 19 days, the City of Edmonton will close the centre to evacuees of Drayton Valley and Brazeau County as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.
After 19 days of supporting displaced evacuees, the City of Edmonton will close the EXPO evacuee reception centre at 4 p.m. on May 23.
Since May 5, nearly 3,100 Albertans were registered and offered support by the City of Edmonton. #ABWildfire https://t.co/v7vUwg6IAM
— City of Edmonton (@CityofEdmonton) May 22, 2023
Almost 3,100 Albertan evacuees have registered and been offered support by the City of Edmonton since May 5 due to wildfires.
“Good neighbours look after each other and that’s what we did. I hope that the work of our Office of Emergency Management and Emergency Support Response Team has shown Edmontonians both that we are known for our ability to help others, and that we are well prepared to support Edmontonians in an emergency,” said Andre Corbould, city manager.
The city provided about 275 sleeping cots, 10,000 meals and hotels for around 500 families. There were also many supplies and services available to evacuees such as clothing, baby supplies, hygiene products, a prayer room, and shower and laundry services.
The evacuees were also provided with animal care and supplies – on and offsite – by the Animal Care and Control Centre. The evacuees had approximately 1,700 pets and 336 were registered.
“We are pleased that we were able to answer the call and help our neighbours in Drayton Valley and Brazeau County when they needed it most,” said Corbould.
The City of Edmonton Reception Centre continues to welcome and assist wildfire evacuees from Drayton Valley and Brazeau County.
For other #ABWildFire evacuees, please visit @YourAlberta https://t.co/dUkgG7n8L5 to find the reception centre identified to support your community. pic.twitter.com/nb2WIBekRt
— City of Edmonton (@CityofEdmonton) May 9, 2023
As well as the evacuation centre closing, support services from Red Cross, AHS, insurance companies, Alberta supports and Service Canada will also conclude on-site services at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
The City of Edmonton said in a media release that other communities around Alberta have the capacity and resources needed to accommodate evacuees and because of that, the Edmonton reception centre is no longer needed.
The @cityofedmonton Reception Centre at Edmonton EXPO Centre is not accepting donations. We are not equipped to accept onsite donations. Please know the City’s Emergency Support Response Team is providing all supplies immediately needed by the evacuated residents. pic.twitter.com/3mNdghggtW
— City of Edmonton (@CityofEdmonton) May 7, 2023
The Edmonton reception centre was run by the City of Edmonton’s emergency support response team (ESRT). The ESRT can reactivate the reception centre quickly if the need arises.