Islander still working to get 3 Tim Hortons stores opened in Fort McMurray

The P.E.I. owner of the three Tim Hortons stores in Fort McMurray is still trying to get the coffee shops back on track after wildfires ravaged the Alberta city last spring.

Martie Murphy says her stores were not damaged by the fire, although a lot of soot had to be cleaned up.

Murphy said although a temporary Tim's was able to stay open to serve firefighters, it was about a month before the stores could reopen. They've been operating on reduced hours.

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"It's been affected greatly from the months and days that you were shutdown, to your cleanup costs, and to getting back into the hours that ourstores were open. Many businesses in FortMcMurray they're limited hours, open certain days and not other days, but it's what happens when a catastrophe takes place in a city."

Staff shortage

Murphy said many of the residents who didn't lose homes have come back to the city. But she worries whether those who lost everything will return.

"That's the big question. It's going to be interesting to see how many people will actually come back and how many people will rebuild. That process is very difficult because obviously, there's a lot of cleanup so that's going to take sometime."

Murphy said it's always been hard to find staff, but it's become even more difficult,she only has about half her staff back.

"Because many of these people, when they moved into different communities, they had to get employment right away and so many workers are not returning to FortMcMurray, so it's very, very difficult to find employees for any business in Fort McMurray,including mine."

'Not the same'

Murphy said she's visited Fort Mac a few times since the fires but it's just not the same.

"The feeling of what it used to be and what it is. You see neighbourhoods that are decimated. It's a totally different feeling, things aren't as busy, there are not as many cars on the road. There's cleanup happening but it doesn't have the same feeling. But Fort McMurrians are resilient, like they've lived through a lot of ups and downs. I have no doubt that it's going to come back."

Murphy saidshe thinks the city will thrive again.

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