Remembering the Heroes

2013 Southern Alberta Floods

Edmonton-based Health staff Theresa St. Jean, left, Janice Tait (currently on secondment with Human Services), Patti Kowalski, Tanis Liebreich (now with Human Services), Laura Grantham and Kathie Gavin were among many Alberta Health volunteers who helped with emergency fund disbursement for southern Alberta flood victims.

Health policy consultant Rachel Bryant helps sort water bottles at an emergency fund disbursement centre set up at Calgary’s Queen Elizabeth High School. Rachel, who was born and raised in Calgary, also lent a hand at Ernest Manning High School and Morley Recreation Centre.

Donna Morrow, formerly with Health and now with JSTL as a Partnerships Consultant, helps with water bottle distribution at Calgary’s Queen Elizabeth High School. APS volunteers had many duties including ensuring that flood victims had access to cool beverages and snacks while they waited from two to four hours in oftentimes unforgiving sun and heat for their flood disbursements.

Animal rescue was a priority. (Photo courtesy of Environment and Sustainable Development.)

Alberta Transportation Bridge Engineer Jason P. Russell; Former Deputy Minister Rob Penny; and Executive Director, Flood Recovery Task Force, Ranjit Tharmalingam (now ADM, Corporate Services and Information Division); inspecting reconstruction work at the Highway 66 Elbow River bridge site in Nov. 2013 during a snow storm – they were really dedicated!

Land Management Specialist Cory Wojtowicz views debris piled up along the Crowsnest River.

Mike Kirby, Invasive Plant Specialist with ESRD, checks a bridge wash-out near Porcupine Hills.

Rick Nash, Leslie Wensmann and Ubaid Khan from Alberta Transportation carry out site inspection and assessment on Powderface Trail. A temporary steel bridge was placed over the existing damaged bridge structure to maintain access.

Rick Nash with Alberta Transportation

Melissa Mountain, an AHS addictions counsellor, chats with Efraim and his sister Abriella in the University of Lethbridge Student Union Building. The children were evacuated from High River with their family and stayed in residences at the University of Lethbridge.

An Environmental Public Health Officer navigating through flood waters in Calgary on her inspection route on June 25.

AHS volunteers make Flood Re-Entry packages at the High River Welcome Centre.

Calgary AHS Internal Audit and ERM team volunteer to help out with the High River clean up.

Alberta Health Services staff played an integral role on the front lines.

Tomorrow Project Research Assistants Chelsea Leishman, Lauren Roberts and Greg Flewelling at a flood-damaged site in High River on July 4, 2013.

Staff work at a laboratory within 10-bed field hospital, which was set up in a matter of hours on June 23 at the Medicine Hat Leisure Centre. Alberta Health Services was responding to the possibility flooding would cut off access to Medicine Hat Regional Hospital for about 20,000 residents. This scenario didn't happen and the field hospital was closed the next day.

Michael Dorosh, an administrative assistant for Inter-Facility Transport, Clinical Operations, Calgary Zone EMS, and a Calgary Highlanders solider, takes part in the call-up of 500 military reservists.

A thank-you sign hangs from a grateful resident's home.