Day 3 - 128 -- This Will Pass

While the largest fire disaster in Canadian history rages with expectations of doubling in size over the next couple of days, it is difficult not to spend time pondering the losses of tens of thousands of people. Sadly, once things are under control and cleanup begins, the larger longer term impacts on the economy may be clearer. Canada's oil sands are the third largest deposit of oil behind Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. While this is often thought of as dirty oil, if we don't get a handle on our petroleum consumption we will need to rely on such reserves. With oil prices being as low as they are, oil sands may not be as economically viable as they were when we sat above $65/barrel. After a major fire, getting camps and equipment set up again will take much funding. That means far fewer jobs in that sector of the economy with many more people being without an income. We'll see how things go once the current crisis is over.

Losing everything whether in a fire, flood, tornado or other natural disaster has to be a psychological pain that is difficult to get over or around or through. My grandmother spoke of the fire that burned a full block of the main street in the small town they moved to when farming became too difficult in the 1930s drought. The family lived above a store. Everyone got out and they did get one big steamer trunk out with them. That trunk held my grandfather's WWI uniform and several other items that became heirlooms. After the fire, my grandmother found in the ashes a ceramic egg cup that her brother had given to her. It has some scorch marks on it, but it survived and it now resides at my house. It doesn't look like much, but it holds a world of pain and hope and love in that tiny object. Shortly after the fire, the family moved to the city. They did have many basics of daily living that had been donated by their neighbours -- such is the prairie way, caring for those around us in times of distress. So, the two pie plates and a large lasagna size cake pan (all pyrex like glass) that I use when I bake are from my grandmother, who got these from her neighbours after that devastating fire. Much later, Mom and Dad had 5.5 feet of water enter the basement from a main break -- we lost many things from over 40 years of life in that house and things that had belonged to my grandparents on both sides. That was difficult to come to terms with. The rebuild was lovely, but it wasn't the same and didn't have the same sense of self that had been there. So -- those in Fort Mac and surrounding communities will choose to rebuild or move -- they will survive but things will always be different.

Stuck in a Moment - U2