Kelowna, British Columbia (PRWEB) May 07, 2014
Every summer, thousands of forest fires burn an average of two million hectares of land across Canada. Fortunately the majority of these fires rarely threaten populated settlements. However on May 14th 2011, one such fire would start near the town of Slave Lake Alberta and would forever change the lives of those in and around the community. The fire would grow to an estimated 500 hectares within hours due to an unusually dry spring and strong winds, and it would soon push past fire breaks and enter the community.
Thousands of residents from the Town of Slave Lake and Lesser Slave River were forced to evacuate to nearby Athabasca and Westlock, and could only watch in shock as around the clock news coverage provided brief glimpses of the damage and devastation left in the wake of the raging inferno. Once the threat had passed more than a third of the town was left in ruin including hundreds of homes, the town hall, library, a radio station, two churches and a shopping mall (Wikipedia contributors. “2011 Slave Lake wildfire.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 Apr. 2014. Web. 5. May. 2014).
Fast forward three years and much of the region has been rebuilt thanks to the resiliency of those living in the community and the generosity of those living elsewhere in Alberta or throughout Canada. New homes, stores and buildings line the street while a brand new library has been built on the site of the library destroyed in the fire. Through the Economic Development Program, a joint partnership of the Town of Slave Lake, the Municipal District of Lesser Slave River, and the Sawridge First Nation, further recovery and growth opportunities within the region are underway.
As part of the economic development program's strategic plan, in March 2014, Kelowna-based Web Design and Digital Marketing Agency, Twirling Umbrellas (http://www.twirlingumbrellas.com), was commissioned with the development of a website to help attract visitors, residents, and businesses to the region. The new website would be powered by WordPress and include a directory of local businesses, integrated mapping, and photo galleries of local events, parks, facilities, and neighboring communities. It is with great pride that we would like to announce the completion of this website and invite you to visit The Slave Lake Region (http://www.slavelakeregion.ca) to “Discover Adventure, Opportunity and Community”.