A fire, a family, and community that spans continents.

Please donate to our GoFundMe.

I know this house. Until two days ago it was home to my step-son, his wife, three young children, and his elderly father.

On Thursday this house burned to the ground, and all six people were left empty handed, and barely with the clothes on their backs.

They are responsible, hard-working parents, and yes, there is insurance, but the harsh reality is that right now they are faced with spending thousands of dollars to replace all of the hundreds of things everyone uses on a day to day basis: clothing, toys, shoes, toiletries, shampoo, food, gas, contact lens fluid … the list is endless.

They’re all safe right now, with parents and children staying with us in Western Head, but this is when they most need support, so we’ve established a GoFundMe page.

I have to say that we’ve been overwhelmed by the support from in and around Shelburne. From neighbours and associates who arrived with bags of toys and clothes… and cash… to local businesses like Guy’s Frenchies and Atlantic Superstore, (and more, that I don’t remember) the outpouring has been phenomenal.

Add to that local politicians who have been working the phones to find them a new temporary home, the firefighters from several different towns, and the ambulance crew, and it’s quite wonderful and amazing.

And aside from negative types on Reddit, the GoFundMe response has been equally amazing. We have seen donations, some large, from friends and from strangers; from professional contacts, and from as far away as Vancouver and France. As I write this we’re seeing donations from the Alencon choir that was Susan’s musical home: La Scola de l’Orne.

So I’ll ask you directly: if you can afford it, please click through to the GoFundMe page and help out our family members. Susan and I will be eternally grateful, as will the parents of our three lovely, high energy grand-children.