SLAVE LAKE, Alberta — The backdrop for the latest stop on the royal tour featured burned-out cars, blackened trees and the remains of what were once family homes.
Prince William and Kate got a first-hand look at the aftermath of a fire that swept through the northern Alberta town of Slave Lake in May.
The couple boarded a bus with large windows for a tour of devastated neighbourhoods and walked down a street, stopping to touch the charred wreckage of a car.
At one point, William reached down to examine the rubble, then studied the ash on his hands.
At a local college, the two met with about 50 residents, who sat in plastic chairs at folding tables in the gym.
The duke and duchess stopped at each table to shake hands and chat and William even patted one woman’s shoulder.
William and Kate asked to visit Slave Lake to show their support for the many people who lost everything.
They emerged for a walkabout, thrilling crowds waiting under a clear blue sky, then headed off to spend the rest of the day away from the cameras in a private retreat. —
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