Wildfires rage across Alberta
This natural disaster will define the second week of the election campaign
A hot, dry, and windy spring has sparked dangerous wildfires across Alberta.
More than 25,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in communities including Brazeau County, Drayton Valley, Edson, Entwistle, Evansburg, and the County of Grande Prairie. In rural areas, this not only means that people need to get out quick but they also need to arrange the speedy transport of livestock caught in the paths of the fires.
Alberta’s provincial election is probably the last thing on the minds of most people impacted by these natural disasters, but the wildfires will certainly play a defining role in the second week of Alberta’s provincial election campaign.
It’s unclear what impact the wildfires will have on the results of the election on May 29, but the parties, leaders, and candidates will all try to demonstrate leadership while trying not create any perception that they are trying to take advantage of the crisis. It might sometimes a tough balancing act, even if they are being completely sincere.
United Conservative Party leader Danielle Smith put her Premier’s hat back on in order to respond to the emergency over the weekend, holding a press conference with government officials in Calgary on Saturday and meeting with the Emergency Management Cabinet Committee shortly after.
The committee declared a provincial state of emergency.
Back in Edmonton on Sunday, Smith took up Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley’s offer for advice in dealing with the emergency. Notley was Premier during the 2016 Fort McMurray fires that resulted in the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta's history, with more than 88,000 people forced from their homes.
“We tried to put ourselves in the position of the folks who were being evacuated. We tried to put ourselves in the position of the people who left their homes and we said, ‘If I was that person, what would I need in order to help make this easier?’ And we worked backward from that position,” Notley said about her approach during the Fort McMurray fires.
Smith also has some personal experience with natural disasters. She was Leader of the Official Opposition and the MLA for Highwood when her hometown of High River was hit hard by a major flood in 2013.
The two political leaders were pictured meeting at the Premier’s Office in different angled photos shared on Smith’s and Notley’s social media accounts on Sunday. The two leaders later joined Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi to meet with people who were evacuated from their communities to the Expo Centre in Edmonton.
Smith certainly looks good in her initial response to the disaster (minus a pre-scheduled visit to a roast beef and ice-sculptured campaign event for Calgary-Cross UCP candidate Mickey Amery before departing from Edmonton on Saturday), but so does Notley, who offered assistance and refused to press questions when asked about UCP funding cuts to firefighting programs.
Green Party leader Jordan Wilkie was the only party leader I could find publicly levelling criticism at Smith’s reaction to the wildfires.
“Our politicians seem to eat humble pie and act collaboratively when disasters strike but can't come together to make decisions for the safety & security of Albertans in the #ableg to stop disasters from happening,” tweeted Wilkie, a firefighter who is running in Edmonton-Rutherford. “Like poverty in our society, disasters are also a policy failure.”
Notley avoided criticizing Smith’s response to the fires and continued campaigning after visiting the Expo Centre, making low-profile stops at campaign offices in south Edmonton and St. Albert.
Smith will likely remain off the campaign trail for the next few days. This could give Smith an opportunity to try to gain some ground on the issues of trust and leadership, an area most polls show she lags behind Notley.
Having a leader away from the campaign trail in such a close election probably isn’t ideal for most campaigns. But the crisis gives the UCP a chance to try to divert Albertans attention away from Smith’s past comments about paying out-of-pocket for health care and a recently discovered speech to a libertarian conference where she laid out a plan to privatize big city hospitals.
Most of the candidates in the ridings impacted by the wildfire evacuations have temporarily suspended their campaigns (read more about this below). But with probably one exception, the UCP candidates in those ridings were already expected to cruise to victory.
This might be a defining moment of the election campaign or it might be something that is long forgotten by a lot of Albertans when they vote on May 29. Twenty-one days can be an eternity in an election campaign and there is plenty of time for other things to happen.
Regardless of the outcome of the election, it was an honourable for the candidates and their volunteers in the affected ridings to put their campaigns on pause and focus on what is most important in their communities right now. The rest of us Albertans not directly impacted by the wildfires should do what we can to help our neighbours in their time of need, and maybe spare a few moments to pray for rain.
A few more points
The Legislature was dissolved but Smith is still Premier
The convening of the Emergency Management Cabinet Committee confused some people who thought Smith gave up her job as Premier after the election was called. Smith is still Premier and cabinet ministers are still cabinet ministers until a new government is sworn-in after the election. The government (executive branch) remains in place during an election but the Legislature (legislative branch) is dissolved, so there are no MLAs until after the May 29 election.Chief Electoral Officer has the power to postpone elections
Elections Alberta announced it is responding to the displacement of voters by the wildfire with special ballots and advance voting options. Elections Alberta also announced that its Edson office in the West Yellowhead riding has closed because of the wildfire evacuation.
Section 4 (3.5) of the Election Act does give the Chief Electoral Officer the authority to apply to a judge to discontinue the election in any one or more ridings and commence a new election at another day and time in the event of an emergency, disaster, or an unusual or unforeseen circumstance. I can’t recall this ever happening in a past election in Alberta.
Candidates suspend campaigns in wildfire ridings
Most of the UCP and NDP candidates running in ridings that are directly impacted by the wildfires or have had communities evacuated have temporarily suspended their campaigns.
Here are the candidate statements I was able to find:
Drayton Valley-Devon UCP candidate Andrew Boitchenko announced on Friday morning that he has suspended his campaign: “Out of respect and support for the countless residents displaced by the fires, please know our campaign is pausing on events and doorknocking. Some things matter more and must take priority today over our events. Campaign offices are now closed save sparse hours in Devon. Please be patient with us as myself and a large portion of my team are either displaced or volunteering with supporting evacuees or fire operations.”
Central Peace-Notley NDP candidate Megan Ciurysek: “Due to the ongoing wildfire situation, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign temporarily. The safety and well-being of our fellow Albertans must take priority right now. My thoughts are with family, friends and all Albertans who are affected by these fires. Many of us are also worried about pets and livestock on our farms. Our livelihoods are on the line. We will get through this together.”
Central Peace-Notley UCP candidate Todd Loewen: “I’m writing to advise that I will be temporarily pausing my election campaign. While my name will still appear on the ballot, this means that my campaign office will be closed and my personal election activities will be suspended until further notice. A very abnormal 2023 wildfire season has hit our province and continues to threaten our homes and businesses. My mind is not on politics or campaigning at this time. It is on supporting and helping my surrounding communities as much as possible without distraction.”
Grande Prairie-Wapiti UCP candidate Ron Wiebe: "Given the ongoing wildfire situation, I have decided to suspend our Grande Prairie-Wapiti campaign to focus on protecting people and property in our region. All events scheduled this week, including in Bezanson, Grovedale, and La Glace, will be cancelled until further notice. I was looking forward to meeting with residents in our constituency, but right now, we must come together and focus on protecting our families and communities. My prayers continue to be with the firefighters, emergency management staff, evacuees, and all those who have been impacted by these wildfires.”
Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland NDP candidate: Oneil Carlier: “Due to the ongoing wildfire situation, I am suspending our local campaign. My thoughts are with our community members and all Albertans impacted by these wildfires. Supporting those impacted must be our number one focus. I encourage all Albertans to be safe. Respect the fire bans and road closures. Pay attention to emergency alerts. Be prepared. Look out for one another.”
I could not find a written statement from Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland UCP candidate Shane Getson saying that he had suspended his campaign, but he did post photos on social media of a firebreak he built with a tractor on his property and of him and Premier Smith viewing the fires from a wooded area near Entwistle.
Lesser Slave Lake NDP candidate Danielle Larivee: “Due to the ongoing wildfire situation, I am suspending our local campaign. My thoughts are with all those impacted by these wildfires, and supporting those Albertans must be our number one focus. Here in Lesser Slave Lake, I see evacuees arriving, and there is concern and uncertainty in the eyes of everyone. I encourage all Albertans to be safe. Respect the fire bans and road closures. Pay attention to emergency alerts. Be prepared. And please, look out for one another.”
Lesser Slave Lake UCP candidate Scott Sinclair posted a video statement announcing his campaign was temporarily suspended.
West Yellowhead NDP candidate Fred Kreiner: “Due to the ongoing wildfire situation, I am suspending our local campaign. Myself and my team has been safely evacuated. My thoughts are with all the Albertans impacted by these wildfires and supporting those Albertans must be our number one focus.I appreciate all the work being done in Whitecourt, Hinton, Jasper and other parts of West Yellowhead to accommodate evacuees, and make sure they are well looked after in this time of crisis.”
West Yellowhead UCP candidate Martin Long: “I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me with questions about the status of our campaign, helping with signs, and door knocking. At this point, wildfires are having a severe impact on our region. While I am your UCP candidate for the region, right now, my full attention is on supporting our community – not campaigning. I will continue to liaise with our Emergency Cabinet Committee, and provincial and local officials to ensure residents of West Yellowhead have the support they need through this difficult time.”
The NDP sent out a statement on Saturday announcing its candidates had suspended campaigns in Drayton Valley-Devon, Central Peace-Notley, Grande Prairie-Wapiti, Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland, Lesser Slave Lake, and West Yellowhead ridings. The list initially included Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville but the NDP sent out an updated list with that riding removed.
I contacted the UCP provincial campaign to confirm which candidates had suspended their campaigns but did not receive a response by the time of publication.