Weathering the storms of 2013

As the rains pounded southern Alberta and water levels on the Bow and Elbow Rivers continued to rise, a local state of emergency was declared in 22 communities across the province. On Thursday, June 20, 2013 Calgary joined this group and declared its own local state of emergency.

With this declaration came the decision to evacuate almost 100,000 people from the towering high-rises downtown and some of the most prestigious residential neighbourhood in the city that run the length of both rivers. By 7:00pm that night power and water had been cut off to these neighborhoods and a usually vibrant city centre was dark.

With 10,000 Ismailis who call Calgary home, this state of emergency left many scrambling to get out of their houses. Among them were about 90 households headed by elder members of our Jamat living downtown. In response to the situation, the Council for the Prairies and FOCUS established an Emergency Operations Centre that evening. From this base of operations, teams of volunteers quickly began contacting affected seniors and other vulnerable families. Buses were dispatched into a downtown core that was shutting down to collect stranded residents and bring them to the Reception Centre at Airways Jamatkhana where they met relatives and host families. Dozens of families phoned offering their homes and other help. Eleven Ismailis were placed with five host families for the 72 hour evacuation period. Many remain with their host families as the state of emergency wears on. Still others are picking up the reins where the first hosts left off.

For those families that were able to evacuate successfully, our volunteers provided a contact point, regular news updates and support. As the recovery gets underway, teams of volunteers continue to monitor these families and Ismaili-owned businesses for their needs.   The Councils for Canada and the Prairies along with FOCUS have also offered resources to governmental authorities, and over 200 Ismaili volunteers have registered with the Red Cross.  

“I’m really proud of the way we have managed this situation,” said Malik Talib, President of the Council for Canada, when he stopped into Calgary briefly on Sunday afternoon en route to Vancouver. “I strongly encourage you to remain proactive and to continue to provide the Jamat and community at large with the resources it needs to get through this difficult time. I assure you, that you have the support and prayers of the entire Canadian Jamat to help you with these efforts.”