It was a long summer for dozens of residents displaced by the River Woods Housing Co-op fire in May, but now 10 families are back home.
Anne Lerpiniere is among the lucky ones who were able to return at the beginning of September to the River Woods complex in the Parkgate area; the remaining 16 families will have to wait until April at the earliest.
“I’ve got my patio lights on and everyone says what a welcome sight,” says Lerpiniere, a founding member of the 30-year-old co-op, speaking to the News last Friday.
The inviting atmosphere is a far cry from what Lerpiniere experienced the evening of May 7.
“I was lying in my bed at 8:30 at night and a pounding came to the door. And it was my next-door neighbour and she dragged me out of my apartment,” recalls Lerpiniere.
She remembers standing in the middle of the courtyard in her pyjamas and seeing a tiny bit of the roof on fire. “And within seconds it just erupted and the whole roof was ablaze,” says Lerpiniere.
The 69-year-old, who suffers from acute asthma, was treated by paramedics at the scene for smoke inhalation and later transferred to Lions Gate Hospital.
The next four months were chaotic for Lerpiniere whose living arrangement changed a handful of times.
But now she’s back in her apartment, which escaped the fire mostly unscathed, with a fresh coat of paint on her walls. Lerpiniere is looking forward to getting back on her feet again.
The greater community has played a special role in the homecoming for the River Woods’ residents, jumping into action immediately after the fire and donating everything from food to toiletries to gift certificates.
“I could sit and cry just thinking about how good people were,” says Lerpiniere.
The $13,000 raised from a crowdfunding campaign (fundaid.ca/riverwoods), which is still active, was distributed recently amongst the 26 River Woods’ families affected by the fire, according to co-op president Diane Bennett.
The money will be put towards the fire victims’ insurance deductibles or used to buy some necessities for their homes.
As for the still-displaced residents, they have found temporary accommodations that are fairly local to River Woods, said Bennett.
Between April and June is what Bennett said she is hearing for when those families can come back to their homes.
She is also praising the community for rallying around River Woods. “The donations from the community and the local businesses were just unbelievable,” said Bennett.
Looking around River Woods, Bennett said the complex is starting to look like its former self again. “It’s a very different picture than it was I would say even 60 days ago when it was missing a roof,” said Bennett.
The cause of the fire was undetermined.
