Mount Royal University is humbled to help our neighbours in northern Alberta by responding to the Fort McMurray and area wildfires. We have welcomed about 475 guests to our campus.
Thank you!
A huge shout out to all of our employees across the University, especially Residence, and Custodial and Housekeeping, who worked hard to ready rooms and get our guests settled. Another big thank you to our Dana Hospitality partners, who have been keeping everyone well fed. There are many others who have worked around the clock, volunteered their time and welcomed our guests to campus. Thank you.
Rescheduling upcoming events
Given the significant coordination required to host our families, while keeping our campus operating as usual, we must reschedule two of our spring signature events. New dates will be chosen soon.
Employee Awards Celebration (originally June 9, new date TBA). Long service gifts and award recipient benefits will continue to be coordinated through Human Resources. Please contact Karen Meadows at 6724 or Jackie Mealings at 6583 if you have questions.
Big Bob's BBQ (originally May 19, new date TBA). Hold on to your ticket, as it will be honoured on the new date. Please contact Karen Parsons at 6356 if you have questions.
At this time, we do not know how long our guests will be here, but it will be several weeks at a minimum. Mount Royal’s Emergency Operations Centre is working on what other impacts may be experienced and how they can be resolved. These decisions will be communicated. As well, please remember to get approval from your supervisor if you are incurring overtime.
Guest information
Temporary housing for guests on our campus has now reached capacity. If rooms become available, The City of Calgary’s Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) will allocate these rooms on our campus on a case-by-case basis to groups with special needs. Evacuees arriving in Calgary looking for accommodation are being asked to check the CEMA site for the location of the current official reception centre.
Mount Royal’s reception centre, located in the West Residence Building (see map) remains open. CEMA, Alberta Health Services and Red Cross are providing support services there. Guests also have access to:
Meal services provided at the Terrace.
Extended hours for computers and family space at the Library weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
Banking and insurance services weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in room I130. Human resources representatives from various affected companies are also on hand.
Recreation facilities (must show wrist band).
There are many other activities and special services being provided on campus. This information is being provided to our guests at the Fort McMurray Guest Information Blog.
Volunteer support and donations
We have had many requests from those in our community wishing to volunteer. At this time Mount Royal is fully equipped to provide support, however we may make the call for volunteers at a later date.
If you are keen to contribute your time, please contact Arlene Bourne at abour927@mtroyal.ca, local 403-440-5181 or cell 403-804-4184 and provide the following information:
Name, email and contact phone number
When you are available to volunteer (business hours, weekday evening, weekends)
If you are flexible in what you can do (greatest need) or if you would like to offer to do something else
How do I donate?
To help in other ways, visit YMMFire.ca for information on how to donate supplies or volunteer your time to assist those in need. The City of Calgary is advising the public that a preferred way to offer support is by contacting the Red Cross at redcross.ca, by calling 1.800.418.1111 and by texting REDCROSS to 30333 to make a $5 donation.
Thank you very much for your hospitality and we will continue to keep you informed.
FAQs - employees
I want to hold an activity or service for guests. How do I arrange and with whom? Contact Arlene Bourne at abour927@mtroyal.ca, local 403-440-5181 or cell 403-804-4184
Will we be having guests sleeping on cots in the gym or large conference rooms? No. Guests will be residence buildings only.
How long will our guests be here? At this point, our best information suggests they will be here for a minimum of a few weeks.
How will this impact other events and commitments the University has made? The Emergency Operations Centre is working on identifying the impacts and how they will be addressed. We will be postponing the Employee Awards and Big Bob’s BBQ.
What about overtime hours? Please get approval from your supervisor before working overtime. You will need to track your time on your time sheets. Volunteer hours are not considered overtime.
Will the building hours be adjusted while our guests are here? The buildings will be locked at the same times as usual.
If we see lost young children what should we do? Please direct them to the Security desk.
Is the reception centre open for people to get housing on campus? No, we are no longer accepting additional walk in guests. We have some available rooms, but they will be filled on a case-by-case basis directly through CEMA.
What does CEMA stand for and who are they? CEMA stand for the Calgary Emergency Management Agency, which plans and coordinates emergency services and resources during major emergencies and disasters.
Is the University getting reimbursed for our costs? Yes, costs are being approved by CEMA for reimbursement.
Are there ill people and what is the risk of wide spread illness? If our guests are ill, we are providing meals directly to their rooms.
Are our guests receiving wellness and health support? Yes, AHS is on site.
Are cats and dogs now allowed on campus? We were asked to permit cats and dogs to stay with our guests. We are allowing this to happen in our East Residences only. This is not a University-wide change in policy.
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4825 Mount Royal Gate SW | Calgary, Alberta | T3E 6K6