Stories and Stunning Imagery of Devastating Wood Buffalo Fire Captured in New Commemorative Book

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Nov. 16, 2016) -

Editors note: There are three (3) images associated with this press release.

JWN, in partnership with Westbrier Communications, announces that today it will be releasing a gorgeous commemorative book that captures the devastating Wood Buffalo wildfire through the stories of people who were there. Saving Wood Buffalo: The extraordinary stories of ordinary people who fought and beat the Fort McMurray wildfire dubbed 'the Beast' features stunning imagery from before and after the wildfire and heartfelt stories of bravery and resilience. Read about:

• Firefighters who risked their lives to tame the beast;
• People who evacuated more than 80,000 residents; and
• Locals who supported the firefighting and evacuation efforts.

"We are extremely proud to be involved in this amazing project. Saving Wood Buffalo features 62 stories from firefighters, police, industry and local residents who made a difference during the wildfire," says Bill Whitelaw, president and chief executive officer of JWN. "In addition to the $50,000 we previously donated to the Red Cross relief effort through our parent company Glacier Media, JWN wanted to use its talent and know-how to raise even more money for the wildfire relief efforts, so $10 from the sale of each book will go to the Fort McMurray Firefighters' Relief Fund."

Saving Wood Buffalo tells personal stories of people who experienced the devastation first-hand. There are harrowing tales of escape and heart-warming ones of generosity. You'll be inspired by the Syrian refugees from Calgary who raised money from other refugees across Canada for the relief efforts and by Chipewyan Prairie Dene member Dustin Nokohoo who took to the highway with much-needed food, water and supplies to help evacuees that were stuck on the highway for hours.

"This book is a love story, a story of the sacrifices the local firefighters, RCMP, industry people and just regular people in Wood Buffalo made for their community. Hearing their stories in putting the book together left me in awe of how regular people, when tested, can do incredible things against what seems to be insurmountable odds," says Darrell Stonehouse, the editor of the project. "It's about more than firefighters. It's about municipal workers who stayed to support the battle, school teachers who battled through to get their students to safety, and folks who just stepped up and did the right thing regardless of the personal consequences."

Both of the book's publishers have had long-standing business relationships with Fort McMurray and area -- JWN through its Oilsands Review magazine and Westbrier Communications through its annual Oilsands Banquet.

Saving Wood Buffalo will be released on November 16, the same day as the 10th annual Fort McMurray Oilsands Banquet, presented by BMO Financial Group. For more information and to get copies of the book, please visit savingwoodbuffalo.ca.

About JWN

For more than 75 years, JWN has provided trusted energy intelligence. Our energy professionals provide the information, insight and analysis organizations need to stay informed and understand what's happening in the energy industry. JWN provides a range of products and services to help companies gain the insights they need to stay competitive, including industry and company benchmarking, custom data sets, market intelligence, custom intelligence and outlook reports, integrated marketing solutions, and events and conferences. JWN's flagship products include the Daily Oil Bulletin, Oilweek and the Comprehensive Oilfield Service and Supply Directory.

About Westbrier Communications

Westbrier Communications (WBC), a made-in-Alberta event management and custom publishing company, has been serving Canada's energy sector for 15 years. Specializing in the oil and gas sector, Westbrier, in collaboration with JWN, has showcased more than 100 companies with a special focus on Alberta's oilsands. WBC's marquee event, the Oilsands Banquet, celebrates community and corporate leadership in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, home to the third-largest oil reserve in the world. The 2016 honourees for the 10th annual Oilsands Banquet are the many heroes who saved Wood Buffalo from the greatest natural disaster in the history of Canada, the wildfire dubbed "the Beast."

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