New regulations to protect Wood Buffalo residents in rebuilding
June 30, 2016. The province has passed three regulatory amendments and one new regulation to protect residents, who are rebuilding in Fort McMurray. The changes increase publicly available information about builders. “Following the fires in Slave Lake, many of my friends and neighbours faced tremendous and unnecessary challenges throughout the process of rebuilding their homes. Our government is committed to ensuring this does not happen to Wood Buffalo residents and will support them from start to finish as they rebuild not only their homes, but their lives,” said Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee in a statement. The amendments will be implemented immediately in the Fort McMurray area and will require builders to complete a builder declaration through the New Home Buyer Registry before they may apply for a building permit. Additional information can then be collected from a builder, including residential construction history, corporate and financial history, and outstanding fines or orders. In May, more than 1,900 residential units were destroyed by wildfires in the Wood Buffalo region.
South African firefighters paid in accordance to Alberta labour laws
June 30, 2016. Officials with the South African agency Working on Fire have confirmed that firefighters deployed in Alberta to help battle the wild fires in the Fort McMurray area have been paid in the same salary range as Alberta wildland firefighters. Close to 300 South African firefighters provided support arriving in Edmonton May 29. They were deployed to northern Alberta two days later. On June 12, the force returned to South Africa amidst controversy over their salary. Firefighters left believing they were being paid less than their Alberta counterparts.