During the wildfires in Fort McMurray the Red Cross mobilized almost 1600 volunteers to help displaced residents.
The Atlantic provinces sent 33 and one of those came from Bridgewater.
Gary Lewis was working a shelter in Edmonton helping to sort out logistics for evacuees.
“Nobody really likes staying in a shelter, you know,” says Lewis. “Sleeping on a cot with others curtained off in another area. It’s what you do if you have to do it.”
Lewis says things happened quickly.
He describes what happened when he got the call to go.
“It was Friday evening I sent my stuff in. It was approved for deployment on Saturday morning. I was on the plane on Sunday morning – I was working there on Sunday afternoon.”
Lewis says the amount support the Red Cross received from across the country was amazing.
Canadians have donated more than $128 million to assist evacuees.
