Family celebrates Mother’s Day after fleeing Alberta fire

World Today

Marjorie Oliver can’t get away from her household duties, even when she’s not at home.

CCTV America’s Roee Ruttenberg reports from Lac La Biche, Alberta, Canada.

She is a wife and mother. Her family has been living here at this Alberta campground after fleeing the inferno that engulfed parts of their home town, Fort McMurray. They left almost everything behind.

Today, Marjorie got a of a surprise from her husband, Joseph.

“It’s a Mother’s Day card … so I could give it to my wife, on Mother’s Day. I’m very thankful for that,” Joseph said.

Marjorie says she wasn’t expecting to spend Mother’s Day like this, and definitely wasn’t expect a rose.

“We’ve been married ever since we were 16 years-old-46 years. [Reading card] ‘To my wife on Mother’s Day: The only thing better than having you for a wife is our children having you for a mother. Happy Mother’s Day,'” Marjorie said.

Their son Leonard is now living a few meters away, along with his son and fiancé. He’s surprised her with a Mother’s Day brunch.

“Having Mother’s Day, or a holiday here, it’s beautiful, almost better than anything I could come up with. But the circumstances are not the best,” Leonard Oliver said.

The camp site they are staying at wasn’t scheduled to open until later this month. The dozens of families now staying here can do so for free, as long as they need.

“Everybody’s pretty good and well, and we got out. Nobody lost their lives in the fire. And it’s, it is a happy day,” Marjorie Oliver said.