by Barb Rees Our busy Saturday started with a trip to the dump, before going to Town Centre Mall to purchase a new cell phone. Excited by the prospect of our next big trip, my husband Dave and I left our little pup Pali in the van on his favourite blanket and went into the mall.
Oblivious to the disaster brewing outside, we picked out a phone, and about 30 minutes later, with everything done, we were about to leave when a friend ran in and told Dave to come with him right away. “It’s serious,” Richard Abbott from Save-On-Foods said. Dave went with him and when I followed I walked into a scene out of the evening news: firetrucks, police, yellow tape, crowds and our Boo the Menopausal Van 2 up in smoke.
Our first thought was Pali but Ken and Kori McDonald had rescued him. They saw smoke, smashed the window and grabbed Pali. Another good Samaritan took Pali across to the veterinarian who checked him out, and said Pali was okay. They brought him back, said no charge and handed him to me who by now was in tears. Strangers held me, which was the beginning of the biggest outpouring of random acts of kindness I’ve ever experienced.
Another lady took me home to collect the car while around Dave people offered their help. For the next hour we were showered with hugs and kind words from those we barely knew. WalMart management came out and offered assistance.
Since then, after posting the news on Facebook, we’ve been inundated with kind words and offers. Phone calls and people stopping us in the stores has helped us cope with this. Boo 2 was packed and ready to go on our next book tour. Our brand new kayaks on the roof, saw their first and only water via fire hoses. Everything we loved about Boo 2 is gone but we’re safe. It could have happened on the road and been much worse. This was a good place to burn if it had to happen.
We are grateful to all in Powell River for opening your arms and helping us through this. We don’t know all the names of the good Samaritans but our love goes out to you. Fire brought us even closer still to the people of the city we love to live in.
Barb Rees is the author of four books, founded the Powell River Writers Conference and lives in Powell River with her husband Dave and dog Pali.
