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A celebration of resiliency and togetherness brought together Fort McMurray’s Metis community at its annual Metis Festival on July 25^th. The event was delayed a couple of months because of the wildfire in May.
McMurray Metis’ office, storage and entire site was destroyed by the wildfire that swept through the community, forcing thousands of people to evacuate. While fortunately the group was able to save many of its archives, all of its data and documentation was lost

“This food bank hasn’t had line-ups for more than a decade.” Arianna Johnson, executive director at the Wood Buffalo Food Bank in Fort McMurray, says the wildfires changed that. Since it reopened in early June, staff members have prepared and handed out 150 hampers a day, a significant increase from last year.

Summer can bring warm, sunny weather and, after our Canadian winters, some welcome heat. When our summers heat up, it’s always important to keep your cool.
So to help beat the heat, and stay hydrated, indulge in tasty, refreshing beverages to keep cool - here are some recipes for your enjoyment:

Fort McMurray people are resilient. When wildfires, which scorched an area 100 times the size of Manhattan, destroyed some 2,500 town buildings and resulted in a month-long evacuation, even the strongest residents were tested. Meet one person the Canadian Red Cross had the privilege to support, Eva Janvier. 

Aileen Park, an Alberta fires evacuee, is an artist. Over the last five years, she has made thousands of tiny blown-glass hearts that she gives to strangers in the hopes that they will bring a smile to someone’s face. These small Pocket Hearts are a symbol of human connection and are meant to be shared and passed along. More recently the hearts have been given to people facing hardships or as a thank you for the generosity from others around her. Her little tokens of hope and solidarity are now spread across every continent.

Red Cross teams have witnessed thousands of acts of kindness as Canadians come together to help those affected by the massive wildfires in Fort McMurray and surrounding communities.
Last week, Jenn McManus, VP of Alberta operations for the Red Cross, visited the Acklands-Grainger employees in Fort McMurray to recognize one such act of kindness.

In times of disaster and emergencies, the work done by humanitarians at home and abroad is essential. Over the last two years, Canadian Red Cross aid workers have assisted with earthquakes in Nepal and Ecuador, at Syrian refugee camps and with Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu, among many others. Disasters, both natural and manmade, are increasingly common. This is why the work of the Canadian Red Cross focuses not only on sending aid workers to emergencies, but also training and educating the next generation.

We want to see how you live to explore our lakes, rivers and shores while wearing your lifejacket. Snap a pic and send it to us for a chance to win one of 10 family packs of Mustang lifejackets.
Share your photo on social media using #LifeJacketLiving or #LaVieEnGilet to enter the contest or submit your photo online here.