Trudeau, Notley enjoy positive media buzz after Fort McMurray fire

Rachel Notley and Justin Trudeau seem to be enjoying some pretty positive media buzzfollowing their handling of the Fort McMurray fires.

Pollster Bruce Cameron withReturn on Insightmeasuredonline comments, forumsand media coverage, andfound that positive mentions of Notleyjumped a net seven per cent in the first two weeks of May.

Among Albertans,Trudeauhas seen a nine percent net climb in positive mentions since May 1.

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Cameron said Trudeau's visit to Fort McMurray, though widely criticized, was well-timed and well-received.

"He looked respectful," said Cameron. "It was appropriate, and people responded."

On Trudeau's May 13 tour of the area, the ratio of positive to negative comments was nearly six to one,Cameron said.

Balancing act

Cameron saidNotley'sfocus on first responders and frequent updates masterfully balanced competence and compassion, first by keeping everyone informed and then by empathizing with those affected.

"Although she's done a great job in terms of responding to the emergency, the real tough part comes now," Cameron warned.

Complex issues of resettlement, reconstruction andcompensation will not be resolved easily or quickly, he said.

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Cameron suggested that the clean-up efforts could become highly politicized, as they werein High River following the 2013Alberta flood.

"Regardless of what the government did ... there were critics, especially in an opposition-held riding, and that's what we have here."

Humanizing Fort McMurray

Cameron said the city itself is also benefiting from an unanticipated shift in public perception.

The fireshelped many Canadians realize something for the first time:that Fort McMurrayis a city of more than 80,000people whose communitylooks and sounds very much like their own, Cameron said.

For the first time in recent memory, most of the country is talking about theoilsandswithoutmentioning environmental or climate change challenges, he added.

Instead, the focus seems to be on how the community has banded together during this difficult time.

"It's a very human face of the community, and it could have longer term implications in terms of making a human face for the oilsands," Cameron said.

Cameron suggested this could even help securemarket access for Alberta's oil in the future.

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