Harvey Sykes lost his trapper cabin when the recent wildfire hit Fort McMurray, and now the Métis trapper is vowing that he will rebuild on the exact spot. The cabin was home to Sykes since birth, and when the wildfire struck Harvey could only grab a few clothes and some of what he termed angry letters from the Fort McMurray city administration which go back to the 1980s. The cabin was built by Harvey’s father in 1948 and this is where Harvey was born in 1952. It is the last Métis trapper cabin in the Waterways and it holds great significant for the entire First Nations group.

When asked about his plans for the future Harvey Sykes stated “Relocating? Move somewhere else? That is not an option for me. I have to go back to Fort McMurray and most importantly, I have to go back to that spot. No question about it. Home is home and I don’t care what anyone at the city will say. I’m going back and rebuilding. That was the oldest part of town and where I’ve been all my life. It’s beautiful here, but it’s like I’m in limbo after going through a nightmare.” In 1980 letters started arriving from the Fort McMurray administration but the trapper has never been fined or charged with any offence. For the most part Fort McMurray ignores Sykes and he returns the favor. Hopefully this truce will continue and Harvey can rebuild his trapper cabin in the same spot.