Ladner resident Marie Beer was at work recently when she heard of the evacuations due to the B.C. wildfires. With a sinking pit in her stomach as she watched thousands fleeing their homes, she figured she just had to do something to help.
Fast forward to last Thursday when she, her husband Poal, friends and family filled their F-150 and 5x10 utility trailer, thanks to the generosity of the community, with food, clothing and goods to take to the evacuation centre in Kamloops.
“I just couldn’t sit at home and watch all these people leaving and not knowing what they would be going home to,” said Marie. “This community is fantastic. I can’t believe the support. It has brought me to tears many times. We are just trying to do what we can and pull all the communities together. I’m so overwhelmed with the amount of support from South Delta.”
The couple, who has lived in Ladner since 2009, bought a place last year near Bridge Lake in the Cariboo, one of the hardest hit areas.
“We have a lot of friends in the community up there, so our hearts go out to them. We have been running back and forth trying to do what we can,” added Poal. “We have another full load at home, so we will be doing a number of runs up there. We are just working things out with Kamloops to make sure everything gets to where it is needed the most.”
MLA donates hay
Delta councillor and newly-elected MLA Ian Paton was busy at his East Ladner farm last Thursday loading about 200 bales of hay he donated for the wildfire relief effort.
The hay will feed livestock in Barriere displaced by the ongoing fires.
Paton said he and his wife Pam were considering ways they could help when they saw on Facebook a request for B.C. farmers to help feed relocated livestock. Things quickly fell into place thanks to Peggy Coonfer who helped organize the effort. Westway Feed and Hay also got involved, sending an employee to help load the bales that will be delivered by Russell Bissett to a rodeo complex where the animals are being kept.
Youth step up to help
Ashley, Nathan and Eva Westeringh, three Southpointe Academy students who live on a farm in Ladner, wanted to do something to help the people affected by the wildfires.
Last Wednesday, Ashley baked cookies, the kids collected fresh eggs from their chickens, made ice tea and took Freezies, and using their wagon, walked up and down their street knocking on doors selling their goods.
The kids raised $300, which will be donated to the Red Cross. Nathan also recently donated a portion of his birthday money to the SPCA to help the animals affected by the fires.
The kids would like to challenge all kids in Delta to take it upon themselves to raise money for this important cause.
A place to hook up
Besides the Delta community centres offering space for evacuees to park their RVs and campers, Mike Owen, owner of Ladner Reach Properties on River Road West, has offered space for up to 10 RVs to have access to services free of charge.
“I have the space, and it must be a very stressful time for these people, so if I can lift that stress a touch so be it,” said Owen. “I think that now that places like 100 Mile, people are allowed to go back, the pressure is off a bit, but the government has our contact information for the future.”
Ladner Rotary steps up
A young Swiss family on their way to the B.C. Interior to work were left stranded in Vancouver due to the wildfires last week.
Following an urgent plea on Facebook, a Rotarian in the U.S. saw the post and contacted Chris Offer of the Rotary Club of Ladner who forwarded it to the 50 members of his club. As a result, Ray and Joanne Moschuk of Ladner opened their home to Barbara and Gregoire Kuehn and their four young children.
Sipco food drive
Sipco Bioengineering in Tilbury collected contributions of food and supplies from employees, local businesses, friends and family members along with a cash donation of more than $11,000 from Sipco’s owner to aid wildfire victims.
“We asked both Sysco and a local trucking company, JT Hotshotting, if they would freely deliver what we collected and take the items to both Prince George Salvation Army Food Bank and the Kamloops Food Bank,” said Sipco president and CEO Sheila Oakes. “Both answered the call and generously donated their trucks, fuel, time and drivers to deliver the items we purchased and collected.”
Many people took part in this project and we are grateful for their generosity.”
