In Quotes: Flood commemoration

One year after flood waters devastated much of the city of Calgary, a commemoration ceremony was held at the Municipal Building to reflect upon the impact of the event.

On hand were dignitaries such as Leonard Basteen, Elder from the Piikani Nation and Blackfoot Confederation; Dave Hancock, Premier of Alberta; Mayor Naheed Nenshi, MLA Kent Hehr and even a video message from Prime Minister and Laureen Harper. Here are some quotes from the event:

Laureen Harper (via video message)

"Even when the storm clouds were the darkest and the flood waters were their highest you didn't lose heart, you cleaned and cleared houses, you donated food and clothes, you pitched in and did what you could for family friends, neighbours."

Bruce Burrell, Director, Calgary Emergency Management Agency

"We're very fortunate in this city that we work well together and we have public safety resources that are augmented by the other services in the city of Calgary, and as we learned not very long into the disaster, augmented by the huge spirit of volunteers in the City of Calgary which is something I will remember forever."

Premier Dave Hancock

"One of my memories from the flood was being here on the Sunday of the July Long Weekend. We were setting up on opening the sites in Calgary for cash cards so people could have some resources to live away from their homes for a few days and talking to people who had willingly come forward, set aside any plans they might have for the long weekend with their families, quickly came forward, worked 13-14 hour days after three or four hour drives sometimes from Lethbridge, Medicine Hat or other places in the province. [I was] talking to a young lady who had driven down from Slave Lake to say you were there for me last year, I want to be here for you this year, that's the spirit that we have in our community."

Mayor Naheed Nenshi

"Hannah's family are here today ... they were evacuated from their home on June the 20^th. Hannah was born on June 21. Do the math, see where they ended up being evacuated to. And of course on the day after her birthday, they discovered, like so many Calgarians, their home had been badly flooded. And they wanted to bring Hannah home, and they were able to bring her home because of the remarkable generosity of friends and neighbours and strangers. And in Hannah's story we have the story of our community and that is the story that I think all of us will remember over the course of the last year."

* Read more in the June 27 edition of the CREBNow real estate news