Wildfires raging across Quebec have forced over 13,500 people from their homes, including many who were welcomed with open arms in Roberval this week.
On Tuesday, hundreds of evacuees arrived in the city, located about 400 kilometres north of Montreal in the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean region.
They likely won’t be able to return until early next week, according to Quebec’s premier.
The shelters set up for them are not as crowded as expected, as people in the community have opened their doors.
Hugo Tremblay, Kelley Morin and one-year-old Jacob fled Chibougamau Tuesday night.
The town of roughly 7,500 people was evacuated due to approaching forest fires and shifting winds.
“It was very stressful because we don’t know what to do, and we don’t know where to go,” said Morin.
Thirty minutes after arriving in Roberval, the young family was placed with Tony Girard.
When Girard heard his town would be receiving hundreds of displaced evacuees, he says he called his son, Samuel Girard, who plays for the Colorado Avalanche and owns a home in the community.
Since being welcomed into the home, Tremblay says they’ve all become friends. He praised Girard for having a big heart.
Meantime, other evacuees are staying at an emergency centre, set up for people from Chibougamau and nearby communities.
On Wednesday, 800 people arrived looking for a place to sleep. Roberval's mayor says only 35 people will be staying overnight, thanks to people who opened their doors.
“I think personally that it is in those time when you see the empathy, when you see the kindness rise up and it has to,” said Stephane Ricard, who lives in Chibougamau.
