New homes spring up for Fort McMurray evacuees

Lac La Biche's newest neighbourhood is rising out of the ground in a matter of hours.

Its residents areexpected to move in almost immediately.

Under the hot, springtime sun,crews are working to place dozens of mobile homesin the soil of the Alberta town, which lies 289 kilometres south of fire-ravaged Fort McMurray.

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In better times these trailers, kitted out with flat-screen TVs and leather couches, would have been occupied by oilsands workers.

But the downturn in the energy sector killed demand for these homes,until this week's out-of-control wildfire made them indispensable.

"We are tryingto get this [camp]up and running as quick as we can," saidSteven Stein of Black DiamondGroup, thetheCalgary-basedcompany thatowns the trailers and the land here, both being donated to house evacuees from FortMcMurray.

"Some of the people who will be out oftheir homes for five or six months will have a place to stay and use the amenities of Lac La Biche."

That's the reality now for many evacuees. Their return will be measured in months not days. They must now think about where their kids will go to school next fall, where they will live and work next winter.

Donated land, trailers

Black Diamonddidn't wait for permission or a promise of payment before acting, The company donated the land and trailers, and down the road will seek compensation for the food, power and water it is also providing.

"It was horrific, we have dealt with the floods in Calgary and we have dealt with other fires but this is major," Stein said.

FortMcMurrayresidentDuane Brooks, one of the workers scrambling to get the camp operational, didn't expect to be working this hard this week, fire or no fire.

"I just retired and my first day of retirement was getting to watch my community burn so it is a bit ofan emotional time," he said, wearing a white hard hat andhis father's worn blue overalls.

Brooks arrived in Lac LaBicheon Thursday. He spent the previous daysbehind the lines helping to protect the homes of his friends and neighbours.

'Phenomenal effort'

Now the retired electrician is using his skills to set up homes for those same people and, despite the trials of the last week, saysit isn't fatigue or frustration that he feels most it's gratitude.

"I just can't thank the people of La Biche enough, this is just a phenomenal effort, a phenomenal amount of giving and it is humbling and it is heartwarming and I just want to say thanks," he said.

Brooks saidhe's also happy to see the support for his community rolling in from across Canada, saying it proves Canadians value the contributions his home town has made to the country.

"We have participated hugely in the economy both federally and provincially and at the municipal level, and I think we are seeing some of that support come back across Canada."

Once this camp is done it will provide homes for 100 people, butthat numbercould grow to a thousand if it is expanded.

Displaying typical Albertan optimism and determination, Brooks is sure these people will one day return to FortMcMurray.

"We are going tobe fine, we are going to rebuild and we are going to be fine."