Father and son collaborate on Fort Mac song
As a singer-songwriter, Kenny Power says that it was almost impossible not to be motivated to write something after witnessing the wildfire that devoured Fort McMurray.
He runs a security company and was in Beacon Hill when the fire hit.
"That was quite the dramatic experience. It was kind of hard not to be inspired to write something with what I had witnessed and seen and survived," said Power.
"The images don't leave my mind very fast."
To write Driven From Our Home, Kenny enlisted the help of his son, Jordie Power of Winterland, who is also a singer-songwriter.
The two collaborated on the song by phone.
"He called me and had the chorus almost done," explained Jordie. "He sung it to me, and I got off the phone and I worked on the verses."
"It's a very emotional song," said Jordie.
"I think all song writing is just trying to get your feelings out there … whatever the song is about, whether it's good or bad, once you get a song about it, it kind of turns into a good thing."
Jordie and Kenny have not seen each other since the wildfire ravished Fort McMurray.
When Kenny fled, he only had time to grab his wedding photo. Everything else was lost.
He's currently staying in a hotel room in Cold Lake, and is safe. However, he, like many who have fled Fort McMurray, is uncertain about the future.
Kenny said he will simply wait things out until he's allowed to return.
Jordie plans on having the song professionally recorded. He debuted the song on CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show on May 13. The studio surprised Jordie on air by calling his father.
Both father and son are choosing to remain positive, as reflected in the final verse of their song:
Someday we'll all be back,
and this will be the past.
But we'll never forget the day,
We ran from our little town.
With files from the St. John's Morning Show