Wildfire evacuees inspire Edmonton couple to vacation in Fort McMurray

Fort McMurray isn't on manybucket lists when it comes to vacation.

But when Ron and Maggie Nichol won a $500 travel voucher to fly anywhere WestJet flies, they chosethe oilsands capital.

Even the couple's travel agent was taken a back.

"There was bit of pause when I said, 'We would like to go to Fort McMurray,' " Ron Nichol said.

Flight-winning couple chooses Fort McMurray for vacation

6 years ago

Duration 1:20

After winning a triathlon-volunteer lottery, Ron and Maggie Nichol opt to use a $500 flight coupon to visit to Fort McMurray.

Nichol became fascinated with Fort McMurray after working at Fort Edmonton Park and learning about the importance of the region to the fur trade.

But it was meeting the thousands of residentswho fled the 2016 wildfire that drew him north.

"It was a great joy of mine to be part of the disaster services team that supported FortMcMurrayevacuees from the fire," Nichol said. "I met lots of people from FortMcMurrayand I thought, 'Wow. Kinda neat to go see where they live.' "

His interest increased as he listenedto stories about why the evacuees hadmoved to the northern community in the first place and howinvested they were in making it a place worth living in.

The couple spent six days, includingthe Heritage Daylong weekend, visiting attractions inthe community, such as the Oil SandsDiscovery Centre which displays the giant buckets and scoops used lift bitumen out of the earth.

Then it was was off to the Fort McMurray Heritage Village and Shipyard to learnabout the history of the region before the oilsands.

Theytook in popular sites like MacDonald Island Park, which bills itself as Canada's largest community recreationcentre.

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They also sampled the local haunts, including Surekha's on the Snye, a caf overlooking the riverfront, and the Wood Buffalo Brewing Companyfor a taste of the local craft beer.

The Nichols, nowback in Edmonton, arethinking about when theymight return.

"I have never been in a place so friendly," Maggie Nichol said. "You walk down the street and everyone greets you and says, 'Hello' and 'How are you doing?' "

Connect with David Thurton, CBC'sFort McMurraycorrespondent, onFacebook,Twitter,LinkedInor email him atdavid.thurton@cbc.ca