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Cherrywood Homes helps rebuild homes and pride in Fort McMurray

By Bailey Hildebrand-Russell

Even before residents could return to their homes after wildfire swept through Fort McMurray, some local businesses brought some employees back to town to begin cleaning up what the blaze left behind. One of those was Casman Building Solutions, a division of Casman Group of Companies and the parent branch of Cherrywood Homes Construction Group Ltd.

supplies. Closer to the return, a crew came in.” Work to rebuild the town came shortly after that. Lance Johnson, construction manager with Casman Building Solutions, said he was with the crew that came into Fort McMurray in late May 2016. “We started with restoration. Working with insurance companies,

condominium complex at the time.

A year later, Fort McMurray is starting to return to normal, but Johnson said it’s definitely not there yet. “People are bearing down and getting it done,” he said. “People are gradually coming back. They’re still not all back, obviously because some don’t have homes to come back to.” But Cherrywood Homes has been helping some residents get back into town and back to their lives since the fire. Weston said Casman worked from Edmonton while employees and residents alike were displaced to help people get back to Fort McMurray as soon as possible, whether that’s in a home like their previous one, or a completely new concept. “It’s not easy, what people are going through, and we try to make it as comfortable as possible,” Weston said. “If they want a new house plan we

Johnson said returning to town was eerie. He drove from Confederation Way to Thickwood Boulevard and didn’t see a single person.

“We brought in water tanks and supplies to people that worked in town,” said Jordan Weston, division manager. “Because we’re in the construction industry, we knew a bunch of excavators and we had a relationship with a few people in town. So, we came into town and we brought electric water tanks and

doing everything from cleaning the homes to rebuilding the homes, from one end to the other.” Johnson said returning to town was eerie. He drove from Confederation Way to Thickwood Boulevard and didn’t see a single person. He was also the only person living in his

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