As warm, dry temperatures continue to smash new records, the threat of wildfire in a semi-arid province like Alberta becomes a clear and present danger.
Last week, Canadians were stunned by the breaking news of a massive wildfire that forced the complete evacuation of Fort McMurray's tens of thousands of residents.
Footage and images of the walls of flames, kilometres-long traffic jams as well as burnt-out homes, vehicles and businesses will be etched into our collective memory for years to come.
Perhaps the silver lining in the devastation is that no lives have been reported lost.
That's largely the result of efficient emergency planning and preparedness as well as dedicated professional forest firefighters, who deserve our gratitude for their fearless commitment to run into the very danger everyone else is fleeing from.
Unfortunately, it sadly did not take long for some people to start politicizing the disaster.
Before long, there were social media posts accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of having made no statement or offering the province any help. Those looking for every excuse to chomp the bit at the Liberal government basically only stopped short of blaming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of starting the fire himself.
However, Trudeau had indeed talked with Premier Rachel Notley to discuss possible responses and also had expressed solidarity through social media.
"Tonight I spoke with Premier Notley and offered our government's support to the people of Fort McMurray. We stand ready to help," he posted last Wednesday.
"My thoughts are with people affected by the fire in Fort McMurray tonight. Stay safe and remember to follow evacuation orders."
Since then, Trudeau has pledged full federal help to relieve the fire-ravaged region, as well as matching donations made to the Red Cross.
"I've been dealing with offers of support and calls from the Atlantic provinces, all the way out to B.C., as people are looking for how they can support their friends and neighbours as people go through this difficult time," he told his caucus last week.
But then again, any government hoping to ever be considered for re-election would offer its support. Just as any government would have been equally powerless to stop such a catastrophe in the first place.
It should go without saying that natural disasters are not the time to play petty partisan games and further drive in divisive wedges while people urgently need help.
Gladly, many Canadians seem to wholeheartedly agree.
While some voices on social media tried to politicize the disaster, they were largely drowned out by many more who expressed their concerns and a desire to help in some capacity. From donations to temporary accommodations, every little bit will help. Members of fire departments in the region, including Sundre, have even mobilized to contribute everything they can spare to relief efforts.
From the 2011 Slave Lake wildfire to the 2013 flood, there's one thing Albertans — and Canadians — have repeatedly shown, and that is their resilience and support for one another through times of unpredictable hardship.
It's at times like these we truly realize that what connects us far outweighs whatever might divide us.
Simon Ducatel is the editor of the Sundre Round Up.
