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Alyssa Mackenzie arrived at Edmonton’s Butterdome an hour before officials were scheduled to begin distributing financial aid to wildfire evacuees.

Based on photographs she’s seen of Fort McMurray, only the stairwells remain from the apartment building where she lived.

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“Everything we had was in that apartment. We managed to grab a quick bag, but anything else is gone,” Mackenzie said.

On Thursday, Mackenzie became one of the 17,000 displaced Fort McMurray residents who picked up a pre-loaded cash card —$1,250 for adults and $500 for children — provided by the provincial government to help take the stress off evacuees in paying for day-to-day necessities. For Mackenzie, the money will be a huge relief to help pay for things like gas and food.

John Rose, Edmonton’s chief economist, said though the effect of the Fort McMurray fire is tragic, the effect it has on the economy isn’t.

“I take no pride in the fact that, in all probability, the fires in northern Alberta, in Fort McMurray, are going to be a positive impact on the city,” he said.