A tornado touched down in the village of Girouxville June 15 that pulled trees from the Earth, ripped roofs on homes and corporate buildings, and left community members scrambling to work collectively in the aftermath.
Just after 8 p.m. on June 15, a tornado hit the ground with no watches or warnings issued beforehand. Smoky River Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Marcel Maure says he received a call out for busted gas and powerlines, but not knowing the devastation that was waiting.
“As I was responding to the scene, I got a phone call from the CAO (chief administrative officer) asking if I was on route and that there was a tornado that touched down,” says Maure.
“I believe the tornado started about two kilometres outside of Girouxville, it destroyed one of the farms on its way into town and then took roofs off homes and caused a lot of damage.”
Maure says many vehicles, homes, and other structures have some damage, inclusive of broken windows, destroyed siding and roofs. He adds, fortunately, there were no reports of major injuries, and no one was trapped inside homes.
One farm outside of Girouxville had multiple grain bins destroyed and a machine shed in shambles. He says right after the tornado had ravaged the community, residents worked together to help clean up the mess.
“There is nothing more meaningful than seeing people step up to ensure the safety of others and to support those who need help the most,” says Maure, commending the community for working so well together.
“Neighbours helping neighbours, friends, families, and even strangers coming together without hesitation—offering support, lending a hand, and looking out for one another. It’s in moments like these that true character and compassion shine through.”
Girouxville Mayor Joseph Zdeb commends the quick response of Smoky River Fire and Rescue, ATCO for its quick restoration of power, and the RCMP for assisting with traffic control.
“It was amazing to see, just minutes after the tornado had gone through, the number of residents and community members who were out checking on each other, assessing the damage, and assisting wherever possible,” says Zdeb.
“A huge thank you goes to every resident and community member who stayed out until dark picking up debris and cleaning up fallen trees.”
Girouxville’s corporate assets had some damage, including damaged siding and broken windows on the Community Hall, and some roof damage to both the bowling alley and public works shop. Zdeb adds that many trees were torn out of their roots at the municipal campsite. Both the community hall and campsite will be closed until further notice.
“If residents have any debris that needs to betaken away, it can be left at the curb, and public works will take it to the landfill,” Zdeb notes.
“The response of the community in the immediate aftermath of the tornado was absolutely heartwarming. It goes to show just how resilient and tenacious we are despite the stress and devastation.”
Zdeb explains community members were initially not aware that there was a tornado approaching, with no advance warnings issued. He says he heard the wind picked up, so he went to close his door, while standing there he watched as debris flew by, power poles sparked and trees fell over. He says it seems like it was over just as quickly as it started.
“Despite the very real damage, I think we were incredibly fortunate that no one was seriously injured and no homes were completely lost,” Zdeb says.
Resident Janie Simard adds that prior to the tornado her husband and child had just gone for a long walk and they returned home saying that the sky was grey and it looked like rain was going to start soon. She says she had just put her youngest child to bed.
“When the boys came in, Alex (her son) sat down on the couch by our south-facing window and noticed that the clouds looked strange,” says Simard.
“By the time I got to the window, we were saying that it looked like a tornado might be forming. Within seconds, debris started flying everywhere, and it was intense. The entire situation unfolded in less than 10 minutes from the time the boys had walked in from their walk. I immediately grabbed my kids, and we all went downstairs until it was over.”
Simard says the storm quickly passed, but in the aftermath her children were traumatized from the event.
“We went outside and saw that the whole neighbourhood was in shambles,” Simard says.
“Shingles, pieces of yard décor, parts of sheds, and trees were scattered everywhere. Vehicles and homes had broken windows and significant damage.”
She says one of their neighbours had a tree lying across their front door with the roots still attached, ripped right out of the ground. She adds that another neighbour had a broken gas line, and another had lost a third of their roof.
“There was a power pole down in our back alley, with power lines down all around us,” she explains adding that it was chaotic and striking.
“What I will say, though, is that everyone immediately started looking out for one another. People walked through the neighbourhood checking to make sure everyone was OK and that no one had been injured.”
Simard says that community members joined to process what had happened and quickly jumped into action, starting an intense cleanup project of the community.
She says people brought dump trucks and trailers, cleaning up debris in the community. She adds a local roofing company jumped into action helping to put Tyvek on people’s damaged roofs to protect their homes from rain.
Another resident, Tara Gagnon, says when she first saw the funnel cloud, she thought it would dissipate quickly. She notes that tornadoes are not normal occurrences in Northern Alberta, so she thought nothing of it. She went inside, with no anticipation of the tornado hitting as hard as it did.
“This is not something that has ever happened here,” says Gagnon.
“Once outside, and we started looking around surveying the damage, it was shocking. The longer you looked, the more you saw.”
Gagnon says the damage caused by the tornado is quite extensive and the community is currently navigating the tedious task of dealing with insurance and repairing all the damage.
“My immediate concern (after the tornado) was shutting off the gas, but thankfully a couple of individuals knew immediately they needed to get the gas off, and managed to get a crescent wrench and turn it off. Someone was on the phone with 911. My manager and myself ended up going to the Girouxville CO-OP to get tarps and duck tape for Denis Verrault as he was going on roofs to help waterproof with a handful of other individuals. People started showing up, picking up, lending a hand. It was amazing to see the community spirit.”
As of publication, the power and gas had been restored to all homes in Girouxville and residents are now finishing the cleanup of the debris. Zdeb says any resident in the village who needs help can reach out to himself or any other member of council or the CAO Estelle Girard. He adds that they are happy to help find resolutions to the issues in the aftermath of the tornado.
Village of Girouxville’s office number is (780) 323-4270.
Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter
