The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, through the Jamaican High Commission in Ottawa, has been monitoring the tragic and devastating fires in the Fort McMurray area of Alberta, Canada, where we are aware that a number of Jamaicans work and reside.
Approximately 80,000 Canadian citizens have been evacuated and displaced from their homes and work environs.
The Ministry commends the over 300 Jamaicans in Fort McMurray for their quick and united action which has resulted in all known Jamaicans being accounted for, evacuated and in safe areas.
“The Jamaicans in Fort McMurray are a tight-knit group. They are all in accommodation, whether with relatives, private accommodation, or shelters,” explains H.E. Janice Miller, High Commissioner for Jamaica to Canada.
A testimony to the camaraderie that has been exercised is the planned meeting of Jamaicans from Edmonton and Fort McMurray, with one objective being to document the concerns of the displaced Jamaicans and the impact of the fire.
The Jamaican High Commission in Ottawa, The Jamaican Association of Northern Alberta (JANA), the Association of Jamaicans in Fort McMurray, along with the Honorary Consul for Jamaica in Edmonton have over the past week, been in constant communication as they sought to ensure that all known Jamaicans were accounted for and in suitable accommodations.
Jamaicans in Fort McMurray are employed in the hospitality sector and also as high-skilled tradesmen, electricians and auto mechanics. Additionally, there are a number of Jamaicans enrolled as foreign students.
The province of Alberta has today released an advisory encouraging all evacuees to register with the Canadian Red Cross at 1-888 350-6070 or online. This information has been conveyed to all the Jamaican Honorary Consuls in Canada for wide dissemination.
