How the Fort McMurray Wildfire Changed My Life

Today marks one year ago that I along with two other ladies, drove up to the City of Fort McMurray which had been evacuated. 88,000 people fled their homes. This was a ghost town save for the Firefighters and other first responders.

During that evacuation Deputy Fire Chief Cranley Ryan's daughter and her friend were killed in a horrific vehicle crash. Mercifully, for a city about to loose so much, these two young and promising lives were the only lives lost.

However, every life touched by the Beast, would remain forever changed.

There are numerous documentaries, numerous stories being told.

Mine is just one of many.

Like millions of horrified Canadians, I watched the Beast threaten Fort Mac and force an evacuation of epic proportion on May 3rd, 2016.

On May 4th I heard Fire Chief Darby Allen say his men and women were exhausted and hungry and my heart was called to go feed people.

Lynda Klouth and Jessica Kappel journeyed with me up there, Jessie to stay and fight fires, Lynda left to go and get more supplies and I stayed to feed people.
I am grateful for the journey that took me to Fort McMurray.

It taught me so much about myself and others. In most cases my faith in human nature was restored.

Some of the memories from Fort Mac are painful, like watching a fire fighter trying to look after his swollen and blistered feet, blisters on the soles over an inch think and yet, when his captain called, he jammed his feet back in his boot and off he went...watching men and women who were so exhausted they were trembling, sleeping on the hard ground, the floor - literally dropping out of sheer exhaustion. Being interrogated by the police three times and on Mother's Day of all days...

Some of the memories are sweet, tender and heartwarming like the little girl who recognized fire fighter Jessica Kappel and ran up to her to thank her.  Or the Edmonton Fire Department taking over the cooking of Breakfast on Mother's Day along with Jeremy Hall, making sure all moms and ladies got a special breakfast thanks to the Pine Haven Hutterite Colony and their farm fresh eggs and homemade sausage.  Another sweet moment is when Keltie May Nicole replaced my stolen "Sparky" dog with one out of her team's Fire rig.

Yes the Beast stole a lot in those days, but actually, I think in someways it gave back far more....
It gave me back faith in humanity, in myself and it has changed how I view tragedy.

For those who are interested, see is a list of the articles I wrote - my diary if you will:

Part One:
http://beltdrivebetty.blogspot.ca/2016/05/my-time-in-fort-mcmurray-part-one.html

Part Two: http://beltdrivebetty.blogspot.ca/2016/05/my-time-in-fort-mcmurray-part-2.html

Part Three: http://beltdrivebetty.blogspot.ca/2016/05/my-time-in-fort-mcmurray-part-3.html




Part 4: http://beltdrivebetty.blogspot.ca/2016/05/my-time-in-fort-mcmurray-part-4.html

Part 5: http://beltdrivebetty.blogspot.ca/2016/05/my-time-in-fort-mac-part-5-truck-woes.html

Part 6: http://beltdrivebetty.blogspot.ca/2016/05/my-time-in-fort-mac-part-6-nicole-from.html

Part 7: http://beltdrivebetty.blogspot.ca/2016/05/my-time-in-fort-mcmurray-part-7-justin.html

Part 8: http://beltdrivebetty.blogspot.ca/2016/06/my-time-in-fort-mac-part-8-love-letters.html

Glenn Chaulk - Syncrude Fire

Until next time, I am Belt Drive Betty, Editor & Rider and one GRATEFUL human being!

Ride Safe....

Highway 63 Song for Fort Mac Wildfire

The Fort McMurray wildfire may very go down as the biggest story of 2016.  It was Canada’s largest-ever natural disaster.  Eighty-eight thousand people were evacuated down highway 63 as flames erupted around them.

Fort McMurray still needs help to rebuild, and to aid in a meaningful and financial way, Larry Pegg has been inspired to write a song and put together a touching music video about this ‘coming together’ in such a time of need.

"...it looks like hell on the CBC..." is a line from Larry Pegg Music’s moving song Highway 63. The song is supporting the wildfire relief efforts and creating awareness for #MentalHealth, #PTSD and #SuicidePrevention, all key issues that will affect those affected by this dramatic and tragic event. As Larry has suffered unimaginable loss himself,  he was able to tap into that and thus create his beautiful rendition of this tragedy.

Larry would like to recognize and thank Michel Chamberland who captured the images seen on the video, and to the CBC for their tireless coverage and their interview of Captain Adam Bugden (as you'll see on the video), Chief Darby Allen and so many others. Thanks as well to the Montana Smoke Jumpers who provided their fearless footage in solidarity with their fellow firefighters, both brothers and sisters.  All their efforts and hard work that are seen in the images of the video drove the rhythm, the melody, the lyrics and the message.

You can download Highway 63 here. Click 'Your price' in the player to download and Larry will devote 100% of download proceeds (set your own price, $2.00 minimum CAD) to the wildfire relief cause and mental health and suicide prevention going forward.  The Red Cross is doing incredible work in supporting those that are in need.

Highway 63 features Ottawa-based Jeff Rogers (keyboards/vocals), Ross Murray (drums/vocals), Stuart Watkins (bass), Fred Guignion (guitars and lap steel), Larry Pegg (guitars and vocals) and Edmund Eagan (supporting Ross Murray in production and arrangement). Jeff sings the lead, and he kicks it out of the park with his great voice and delivery. Mastered by the iconic Emily Lazar at The Lodge in New York City.

We feel this song is a strong contender for ‘Canada’s song of the year’ and we are asking you to download, share, and share some more!

Please share via Twitter: @LPGrooves
Like and share on Facebook

If you need mental health support you call these numbers 24 hours a day.
Alberta Addictions Help Line: 1-877-332-2322
Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642
Wood Buffalo Distress Line: 1-780-743-4357



Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

And the HUNT IS ON!

Our second annual "Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community Contest" is now under way!

We already have three nominations, two are for Two Hills, Alberta, the reigning Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community of 2015 and one is for a runner up community from the 2015 contest, Nisku Alberta!

With over $60K in marketing prizes to be won, this free contest is meant to help riders find those wonderful smaller communities that have a lot to offer a rider.

Nominate your community today!  Nominate a community you love riding to - tell us why and share your knowledge with the rest of this community! 

It's FREE, it's easy and it helps our entire riding community from coast to coast to coast.

The contest is brought to you by Community Futures of Alberta and the Rider Friendly Business Association.


The Rider Friendly Business Association helps Riders find Rider Friendly Businesses and Community Futures helps small business in rural communities.

Speaking of the Rider Friendly Business Association - the new online, fully mobile directory was just recently launched!  Check it out at www.riderfriendly.com 

Today, Episode 8 of Ride Like a Local airs and if you were touched by the Fort McMurray Wildfire, the next few episodes are something you aren't going to want to miss! Watch it below!

Have a great day everyone and if you are blessed enough to be riding today, HUG AN OILFIELD WORKER.

Belt Drive Betty,
Editor & Rider





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A VERY SPECIAL Series on The Fort Mac Wildfire & The Riding Community

I know I have not been writing as much as you had all gotten accustomed to, but I have been very busy working on a ton of very special projects. And when I say a ton, I am not exaggerating, not even a little. From launching our new Rider Friendly Business Association Directory to working on the TV Show Ride Like a Local, the Afghanistan Monument Project, Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community Contest for the 2016 riding Season and a host of other items, well, writing has had to take a bit of a back seat.

What I have been working on gave me shivers and the urge to write became larger than the looming deadlines I am working under.

I have been blessed to interview some of the riders who were instrumental in keeping people fed and cared for.  Some of them I worked with, others that worked behind the scenes, that never got the notoriety or hugs.

I am proud to announce that Ride Like a Local will be sharing a very special 3 (Maybe 4) Part Series called "The Fort Mac Wildfire & the Riding Community".

Watching the footage of the first interview with my friend and a human being I admire deeply, Jeremy Hall, I can't tell you how overwhelmed with pride I am.

I am proud to be a part of a community, as divided as it can be sometimes, (YES we have our own breed of prejudice, our own brand of disfunction as a family)...


You see, there were people who are normally not colleagues, not friends, hell some of them down right dislike each other and yet, they all put personal feelings aside and dug in to do what they all knew was right.

The breadth and depth of the humanity that the riding community can exhibit during times of extreme need is breath taking. I had always known we were a tight crew and that regardless of our personal bias, situations, mind sets - we were all more alike than different and Fort Mac proved it to me time and time and time again.

I can't wait for you to see from other people's perspective that they saw and experienced the exact same things I did.

Jeremy and I both got some publicity out of Fort Mac, neither of us went there seeking it.
But I do believe that the interviews we both gave on radio and TV helped the non riding world look at our community just a little bit differently.

The sad thing about radio and TV in the mainstream world is they can offer you a two minute or a 10 minute look into what happened and that's all.  They pick and choose what they want you to hear and see.

They do their best in that short bit of time to tell the story but I am here to tell you that to tell Jeremy's story alone is gonna take up 2 - 30 minute episodes.
The people he acknowledges for their help and support all deserve to be publicly recognized.
His story is compelling and deserves to be really told.

I wrote somewhere around 9 Blog Posts only time in Fort Mac and didn't come close to thanking everyone, or telling all of the stories that could be or should be...

I hope that my editor Mark and myself can present a body of work that will make the riding community stand proud.

From coast to coast we had the support of riders from across this country who represented pretty much every cross section of the on road motorcycle community.

From the Red Knights to the Hells Angels and every cut in between, this community has a lot to teach the rest of society I believe.

When you see these interviews and hear from these people what they went through, what they witnessed and experienced, it is my hope that you see the same thing I see.

Until next time, please enjoy these last weeks of the riding season and remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and can't see you.

Belt Drive Betty,
Editor & Rider