Slave Lake mayor details rebuilding process

One month after being ravaged by wildfires, Slave Lake is starting to rebuild, and displaced residents are finally being given a set timeline as to how long the process will take.

"We have identified four zones in the community and the first zone, possibly, could start rebuilding in a month," revealed the town’s mayor, Karina Pillay-Kinnee.

For those who had homes in ‘Zone Four,’ which is the area that suffered the most damage, the wait to rebuild is expected to take up to six months, though.

Pillay-Kinee said one of the challenges will be to find a workforce to help with the rebuild process, since local builders are already stretched thin. She also warned displaced residents to be diligent and do their homework before hiring contractors.

"Some people have never built a house before so they felt very overwhelmed with the process, of you know, getting permits," she said. "They’re going to have to be thinking of all this stuff while they’re displaced and also working."

Many displaced residents are currently staying in hotel rooms and campgrounds, but there are plans to provide them with mobile housing. And while not all homes will be re-built before winter, the mayor says this timeline is a step in the right direction.

"I think the message is – we are going forward, we are moving forward and there is light at the end of tunnel."

With files from Slav Kornik.