Family’s future uncertain after fleeing Fort McMurray wildfire

Catherine Reynolds | Oct 13, 2016

Mike Stapley is tired of running.

A survivor of a wildfire that destroyed his home in Fort McMurray earlier this year, the proud man sighed deeply as he talked about his current predicament.

“If we have to move again, it will be four schools in six months for my children,” the 36-year-old said wearily from his kitchen table in Battersea, a small community north of Kingston in the heart of South Frontenac Township.

Stapley and his family had been residents of Fort McMurray for 10 years when the wildfire began on May 2. They joined the first wave of refugees who fled the fire, which swept through their community and destroyed approximately 2,400 homes and buildings. It was the largest wildfire evacuation in Albertan history.

Unstoppable, the fire continued to spread across northern Alberta and into Saskatchewan, consuming forested areas. The fire spread across approximately 590,000 hectares before it was declared to be under control on July 5. It is the costliest disaster in Canadian history.

Grabbing their children and pets, Stapley and his fiancée Crystal Maltaise left their home with little more than the clothes on their backs. In their rush out the door, they left behind most of their belongings, including her engagement ring and the family’s debit/credit cards.

“I’ll never forget it. It was noon and it was pitch-black out. I thought to myself, ‘Where did this come from?’ .. An RCMP officer told us to run for our lives. We drove through the flames,” said Stapley, caught in a memory of those harrowing moments when he gathered his family and drove through the smoke.

“I thought we were going to pop the tires,” Maltaise, 33, added quietly.

Sitting with her two younger sisters in the back of their SUV, 10-year-old Mercedes watched the world she knew go up in flames. “All you could see out the window was black and orange. You could see ash falling from the sky,” she said.

It was through that window that Mercedes saw her friends for the last time.

“When you’re running for your life, it’s the scariest thing in the world,” said Maltaise, holding her arms to control her shivers. “There are no words to describe it. It’s crazy to think how one day literally changed our lives forever. Since the fire, it’s really messed with our minds.”

“It was the most organized chaos you’ve ever seen,” said Stapley.

Citing a fire drill at school earlier in the day that upset his daughter, he said, “Those are some of the burdens we are working with day-to-day. It shows how much the children were affected. It was a lot deeper than we expected.”

Now, more than five months later, the family has found comfort in a farming community close to their extended family and city amenities. In Battersea, the survivors are living and trying to heal from their ordeal.

Sensitive to the trauma the children have endured, the parents are working to help their three girls, ages 3, 6, and 10, adjust to Storrington Public School, where they are enjoying new opportunities, such as cross-country running.

Another silver lining is music by Mercedes that expresses the hardships they have endured. Using a composition by Passenger, she rewrote lyrics to the song “Let Her Go”. The song was a hit in Alberta and has created performance opportunities for her in Ontario.

“We’re really proud of her,” her father said.

The parents are continuing their search for work. Crystal is an experienced shipper and receiver and Mike is an experienced business manager. They both want to regain a sense of normalcy after months of upheaval.

And yet, they just learned that the lease on their home will end December 1.

“I’m not looking for hand-outs,” said Stapley about his current situation. “We’re here and we want people to know we think this community is lovely. The biggest thing for us is we love this community and want to stay. I was raised with the belief that all you need is good water and good neighbours and the rest will work itself out.”

Stapley smiled as he talked about the support he has received over the last few months from strangers and organizations such as the Canadian Red Cross.

“The help we got, it would blow your mind,” he said gratefully. “Crystal and I miss Fort Mac, but we’ve never been so proud to be Canadian.”

Unsure where they are going from here, he said, “It’s the kids we’re concerned about. We don’t want to lose that school.”