Cape Breton seniors who lost long-time home in fire overwhelmed by community support
A Cape Breton couple is counting their blessings after making it out of their long-time home that was destroyed by fire on Monday.
On Tuesday, Russell and Marie Mauger were in their neighbour's kitchen surrounded by family and friends.
Less than 24 hours earlier, they had narrowly escaped their burning home.
"I never got much sleep last night because when I closed my eyes, I would see my house. But we're all out, we're safe. That's good enough. I'm thankful," said Marie.
The couple had lived in the home on Tower Road for 40 years. When it burned to the ground Monday morning, mementoes from 64 years of marriage were lost within minutes.
"Pictures of the kids, my parents, his [Russell's] parents, my grandparents' pictures. All gone," said Marie, who added that all their wedding photos were also lost.
A GoFundMe page has been started to help the couple. As of 10 p.m. Tuesday, it had already raised more than $4,400.
"They knew we were left with nothing but what we had on our backs," said Russell.
Already, Russell has a new pair of glasses and says a pair of reading glasses are on the way for his wife after a local optometrist saw their story and wanted to help.
Some other basic essentials have also been donated.
"Food and clothing, jackets and pants," said Russell. "Neighbours come, you know, [with] boxes of clothes. Mostly clothes."
"Everything is gone," said Marie. "But we're alive. That's it. They could have had a double funeral."
The Maugers say they're not normally comfortable accepting help from people. However, in this case, they didn't have much of a choice.
"Oh, God almighty, [I] can't thank them enough," said Russell.
The couple's home used to be where the family would gather for a big holiday get together. Now, they'll have to start a new tradition this year.
Still, Russell and Marie are counting their blessings and have a message for those who have lent a hand so far.
"I wish everybody a Merry Christmas. Anybody that gave us anything or helped us, you know, Merry Christmas to everybody," said Russell.
The couple says they do have insurance, which will help ease some of the financial burden.
There's still no official word on the cause of the fire.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.