The municipality has issued a voluntary evacuation order for Grayling Terrace. The evacuation notice is because gas is being shut off to Grayling Terrace for safety reasons, not because of flooding.

Heat or hot water will not be available for residents who do not chose to evacuate.

Those who leave and need a place to stay or immediate support are being asked to register at the Oil Sands Discovery Centre at 515 MacKenzie Boulevard.

The municipality has ordered the mandatory evacuation for all of downtown with the exception of the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre and Grayling Terrace.

People affected by this order are asked to report to the Casman Centre at 110 Eymundson to register. The Casman Centre is set up as a secondary registration centre to help alleviate the volume at the Oil Sands Discovery Centre.

Keyano College has also been evacuated. All staff and students living in the Penhorwood and Clearwater Residences are safe.

Since Sunday, more than 5,000 people have registered at a centre, with this number expected to grow and people continue to check in. Up to 15,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes since flooding began Sunday morning.

The municipality has also created a registration form for anyone wishing to volunteer with helping evacuees efforts.

“Significant resources are dedicated to berming and sandbagging the area surrounding the hospital to mitigate flood risk,” said Emergency Management Director Scott Davis. “There is no threat to the hospital at this time and we remain in constant communication with the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre.”

Access to the lower townsite is closed. Anyone staying in or traveling to an evacuated area is putting themselves and others at risk.

Emergency response crews have performed more than 200 rescue operations in the past 24 hours in areas that have been evacuated.

“Our emergency response crews have been working night and day to help with our residents to get to those safe places,” said Fire Chief Jody Butz in a statement. “We will continue to do that, but I need all of our residents to pay attention to those mandatory evacuation orders.”

The Wood Buffalo Food Bank has closed after its building flooded Monday morning. Damage is still being assessed.

The spring breakup of the Athabasca and Clearwater Rivers began at approximately 5:11 a.m. Sunday, elevating the risk of flooding for Fort McMurray’s lower townsite.

Kenney rejects asking military to use explosives to clear ice jam

On Sunday evening, Mayor Don Scott and David Yurdiga, MP for Fort McMurray-Cold Lake, confirmed they had asked the federal government to send the Canadian Armed Forces to assist with evacuations and digging sandbags.

National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said he would approve the request if a formal one was made by the province.

On Monday, Kenney said he would make the request if the municipality could provide specific details for how any regular or reserve force soldiers would be used.

Kenney also pointed out that mobilizing military forces, even from CFB Edmonton, could take “a couple of days.” Soldiers need time to muster, inspect equipment, find accomodations and secure a supply chain.

“This is a situation that hopefully will be abating later this week but we’ll continue to discuss that with the municipality,” said Kenney. “If there is a formal request, we’ll certainly be willing to consider putting that through to the Department of National Defence.”

Kenney and Jason Nixon, Alberta’s Environment and Parks Minister, also rejected the idea that the ice jam could be cleared with explosives or by a bombing run from a CF-18 out of CFB Cold Lake. Instead of dislodging the ice, Kenney says it would likely compact it even further.

“There are tools that can be used for an ice jam at different stages, including explosives as well as floating excavators,” said Nixon. “Currently, the problem is it’s so vast… there’s no safe alternatives for us to be able to reduce that.”

Boil water advisory expanded

At the direction of Alberta Health Services, the municipality has expanded the boil water advisory to include all of Fort McMurray, as well as Anzac, Fort McMurray First Nation 468, Gregoire Lake Estates and Saprae Creek Estates.

Tap water should not be used for drinking, cooking, making baby formula, making ice, washing fruits or vegetables, brushing teeth and feeding pets before being boiled. The water is safe for bathing.

If jugs or containers were filled with water on Sunday, the municipality recommends the water still be boiled.

The municipality first ordered a boil water advisory for all Fort McMurray neighbourhoods north of the Athbasca River Monday just after 1 a.m.

More information about using water under a boil advisory can be found on the AHS website.