100 Mile House Mayor Mitch Campsall stopped in to the District of Barriere council meeting at Barriere’s municipal hall on May 22 to thank the people in town and surrounding area for helping his community during the wildfire evacuations of 2017.
Mayor Campsall presented a plaque to the District of Barriere, with Mayor Virginia Smith accepting, for all of the assistance that the citizens of Barriere extended by welcoming his community during the evacuation.
A second plaque was presented to Barriere Emergency Social Services (ESS), with Carol Patton accepting. The ESS volunteers in the area put in many long hours, even though some of them had been evacuated from their own homes as well.
Campsall also presented a plaque to the North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo Association with NTFFRA president Jill Hayward accepting. Hayward headed up the Barriere Livestock Evac Centre at the NTFFRA fairgrounds last summer with over 125 area volunteers working for 70 days to care for the animals on site. Along with 578 head of evacuated livestock, a number of families also stayed at the fairgrounds who had been displaced by the fires.
The plaque to the NTFFRA reads, “The District of 100 Mile House extends our sincere appreciation to the North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo Association for its support and assistance during the unprecedented 2017 wildfires. Thank you!”
Mayor Campsall said his community had welcomed numerous Barriere and area evacuees during the McLure Wildfire in 2003.
“Now we’ve come full circle, and I will forever be grateful for what Barriere has done for the 100 Mile evacuees,” said the Mayor.