The McMurray Métis are having to make do by using multiple locations to run their operation after they lost their main office and a number of important files as a result of wildfire damage. The main office for the group was located on land that the Métis rented from the provincial government, and many of the computer systems in the office were not backed up. Older files and a number of financial documents are gone and can not be recovered, dealing the group a devastating blow. According to the McMurray Métis general manager Daniel Stuckless “Those are pretty big hits to us. We’re trying to recover a lot of it by piecing together old emails and old backups. It’s going to be an interruption, but we don’t think it will keep us grounded for long.”
The McMurray Métis are not the only group impacted by the wildfire damage, but the main office also served as a meeting place for leaders of the various Métis groups as well as a hub for the local Métis community. Stuckless explained that “Ideally, we want to be where we were. Right now, it’s up to the provincial government since they own the land.” Mental health services are sorely needed by the local community as well as other support services. Many people lost homes and are running out of options. Stuckless told the media “I’ve found some guys to start cutting grass around the city for money, but they need permanent work. A lot of them are putting on a strong face, but they’re struggling. There is still a challenge in getting people to admit they need to talk.”
