While under evacuation alert, Waterton celebrates firefighters who saved town last year

• READ THE LATEST UPDATE HERE: Evacuation alert lifted for Waterton Lakes National Park

Dozens of signs surrounding the townsite in Waterton Lakes National Park tell visitors and residents alike, "Thanks Kenow Fire Team."

About a year since the park took heavy damage from the Kenow wildfire, Waterton itself has marked the anniversary with music, food and activities to say thank you to the firefighters and other crews that helped save their community in 2017.

In September last year, flames consumed more than 190 square kilometres — nearly 40 per cent of the park. About 80 per cent of the park's popular hiking trails were affected. 

But the town itself was left relatively unscathed by fire, due to efforts of fire crews from Parks Canada and the surrounding area.

"This town was surrounded by fire and they saved it," said event volunteer Garth Schlenker, while putting up tribute signs on the road leading to Waterton township.

"We really hope that they know that we can't thank them enough," said event co-organizer Brenda Kurtz-Lenko.

Kurtz-Lenko's family has had a cabin in the Waterton area since 2001. She helped coordinate the celebration, which included lunch for firefighters and their families and documentary screenings about the Kenow wildfire.

"[A] four year old went up to one of the current firefighters … and said thank you. For me that made it all worthwhile."

Parks Canada fire crew member Keith Thibault said one of the best parts of the celebration was being able to reconnect with community members and fellow firefighters he had met during the Kenow fire.

"It is really nice to get everyone together, it's really good and positive energy," said Thibault.

An emotional gathering

Emotions ran high during the celebration, with firefighters and community members alike coming close to tears during speeches held Saturday afternoon.

"It means so much to these firefighters to have an opportunity to experience the community's perspective, and to share the stories with them and it's really built a feeling of camaraderie," said Page Murphy, who grew up and still lives in the region.

"This is actually the first event I've ever known of where a community has, a year later, taken an afternoon to celebrate the town's existence and to celebrate the work that was put into it," added Murphy, whose husband is a firefighter and worked to battle the Kenow blaze in 2017.

Waterton was still under an evacuation alert during the celebration, due to the Boundary Creek Valley wildfire burning in nearby Glacier National Park across the U.S. border.

• U.S. fire managers get green light to operate in Waterton Lakes National Park
• Déjà vu for Waterton residents as huge U.S. wildfire threatens park

The irony of a wildfire being commemorated as another wildfire threatens the community was not lost on Page Murphy.

"To have this event today under an evacuation alert, sitting in the smoke … it's also one thing that I think is going to bolster the firefighting teams through the end of this long, long [wildfire] season," said Murphy.

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