Slave Lake residents flee the wildfires in northern Alberta

Slave Lake resident, Martha Urquhart, spoke exclusively to Ask the Experts following the recent fires in Saskatchewan. Martha has just contributed as a co-author on the Business Leaders Book Club project, due to be released by Ask The Experts later this month. Her chapter in the book presented her as a successful entrepreneur who had helped to deliver impressive commercial results with her clients during the worst economic downturn in recent history. However, she now has a much bigger challenge on her hands.

She told us that residents of Slave Lake have had to flee the area and most have lost their homes, having been burnt to the ground.  She also talks of the home of her client, who she helped to achieve massive profits during the recession and whom she talks about in the book.  This client’s home has burnt down but the last they heard was that the business was still standing.  

Residents are likely to be displaced for at least another two weeks and many are unaware of whether they will have anything to go back to.

Martha, who witnessed much of the early devastation first hand, told us “The miraculous fact is that there are no casualties! Everyone seems to have made it out safely and alive”.  Martha is at this time unsure whether her home is still standing intact.  

The Business Leaders Book Club project involved 60 business leaders from all across the world and Mark Stephens, the books Editor in Chief, expressed his personal concern and sent out a message on behalf of all the contributors, who hope that there will be some positive news for her and all the victims in this tragic situation very soon.

 jo.massie@f10.co.uk