What happened to Fort Mac people can happen to you:  a fire, a flood, even a break-in . . . whatever it takes to remove all the stability from your life and literally put you on the street for an unknown amount of time. It can take a couple of years to bounce back from the reality of losing all control over your circumstances. Use your imagination and empathy to learn from their experience--because you don't want to  do it first-hand. Ask yourself how much help you'd like to receive if/when your turn comes. And then be happy to extend that much help to these people.
(And it's got nothing to do with what kind of economic activity predominates in their town. Most Canadians live near forests and water, and either one can take your house pretty quick in a fire or flood.)