'I've lost everything': Homeowners lose everything, including pets, after rural N.B. home destroyed by fire
'I've lost everything': Homeowners lose everything, including pets, after rural N.B. home destroyed by fire
Two photo albums full of memories of her family. That's about all Lee Walker could salvage from the ruins of her home on Thursday.
Lee and Mike Walker's house in Shepody, N.B., was destroyed in a fire Wednesday afternoon.
"Our pictures when we got married," Lee said to Mike as she flips through one of the albums.
Not only is their home and all their belongings gone, so too are their pets.
Their dog Harry and cat Hope were both lost in the fire.
"If I only could find Harry," said Lee as she continued to sift through the wreckage.
The house, which the Walkers guess is over 200 years old, had to be demolished by an excavator because of hot spots that couldn't be put out.
Riverside-Albert Volunteer Fire Department Deputy Chief Daniel O'Hare said the building was fully engulfed when they arrived shortly after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
"It was so dry," said O'Hare. "It really wasn't anything we could put out quick. It took a lot of water."
Riverside-Albert Volunteer Fire Department Deputy Chief Daniel O'Hare said the building was fully engulfed when they arrived shortly after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. (Courtesy: Lee Walker)
No one was injured in the fire.
Riverside-Albert received mutual aid from the Hillsborough and Alma fire departments.
Firefighters were on scene for close to six hours.
O'Hare said the cause of the fire is not yet known.
The couple has lost everything and now must start over, but it won't be easy because they don't have any insurance.
They were 40 minutes away in Riverview, N.B., at the time of the fire paying their property taxes.
"By the time we got back, there was basically nothing left," said Mike.
Mike said the pets are definitely their biggest loss.
"They're like kids as you get older," said Mike. "The funny thing is the little dog, he wanted to go with us yesterday."
Lee said both of her pets had a lot of personality.
"I lost everything. My babies I can't replace," said Lee. "Everything else, they're just material things."
The couple have spoken with their neighbours and friends and they appreciate their support.
"Albert County is a place you want to be. Everybody's friendly," said Lee. "We all help each other. We all pull together."
Michelle Walker, Mike and Lee's daughter, said they moved from Moncton, N.B., to Shepody 25 years ago when she was 15.
She found out from her daughter that her old home was on fire.
"I called my mom and she didn't answer. I called my dad. He said, 'I'm here, I'm just watching our house burn down,'" said Michelle.
Michelle's parents are staying with her sister for the time being. She said her mother works in home care with seniors in the Albert County area.
"She drives around and spends her days with the seniors in the community," said Michelle. "She said last night that she was going to go to work. She lost all of her scrubs in the fire. They didn't have anything. Just what was on their backs."
The Walkers are trying to figure out what they are going to do next.
They have a cottage in the Salisbury, N.B., area, but it isn't suitable for living in during the winter.
As for getting new pets, Lee isn't so sure about that right now.
"They're irreplaceable. They can't be replaced," said Lee. "You can't replace a life."
Michelle has started a GoFundMe page to help raise money for her parents. As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday, the fundraiser had raised just over $2,000.
Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference David Johnston is being questioned by MPs at committee about his role, his report into election meddling, his decision against a public inquiry, and allegations of a conflict of interest.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should see to it that mass murderers serve their entire sentences in maximum-security prison.
The number of interactions between killer whales and humans has increased alarmingly in recent years. CTVNews.ca asked an expert to explain the reasons behind the increase in interactions, explore the types of encounters, and examine the implications for both humans and killer whales.
The PGA Tour ended its expensive fight with Saudi Arabia's golf venture and now is joining forces with it, making a stunning announcement Tuesday of a merger that creates a commercial operation with the Public Investment Fund and the European tour.
An internal document suggests Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants China kept out of a Pacific Rim trade bloc, despite the Liberals publicly insisting it would welcome anyone who meets the trade deal's standards.
Prince Harry entered a courtroom witness box Tuesday, swearing to tell the truth in testimony against a tabloid publisher he accuses of phone hacking and other unlawful snooping.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
Many Canadian parents are stretching themselves thin — even going as far as to postpone their retirement in some cases — in order to help pay for their children’s education, according to a new survey.
Police in Australia are investigating the suspicious death of a woman who used to live in Surrey, BC, after her body was found in her apartment on the outskirts of Sydney.
A grieving widow whose husband was run over and killed by a speeding OPP officer can't believe the force told her it won't hold a public hearing into the case because it decided the misconduct was 'not serious.'
Calgary-based Cenovus Energy says it has safely restarted a portion of its production that was shut down because of the threat of wildfires in northern and central Alberta.
A 53-year-old man was shot and killed in the Montreal suburb of Dorval on Monday afternoon. A source told CTV News that the victim is Francesco Del Balso, who has links to Montreal's Mafia.
One Quebec city that had been threatened by approaching wildfires has lifted an evacuation order, but other parts of the province continue to deal with out-of-control blazes that are taxing firefighting resources.
Police in Australia are investigating the suspicious death of a woman who used to live in Surrey, BC, after her body was found in her apartment on the outskirts of Sydney.
Mounties in the town of McLennan, Alta. are hoping members of the public can help them identify two men who tried to steal a bank machine from the local ATB Financial.
Mounties in Peace River Alta. are asking residents to check their "businesses, homes, sheds and outbuildings" for any sign of 13-year-old Rocky Conrad Cardinal.
While firefighters get more forest fires under control in northern Ontario, travel restrictions declared under an emergency order are being expanded in several communities.
A 13-year-old male from Elliot Lake in northern Ontario has been charged with sexual assault again, bringing the total to 10, after another survivor came forward.
A grieving widow whose husband was run over and killed by a speeding OPP officer can't believe the force told her it won't hold a public hearing into the case because it decided the misconduct was 'not serious.'
Marking the two year anniversary of the alleged terror attack that took the lives of four members of the same family, the board has announced an Anti-Islamophobia Strategy.
On this day in 2021, four out of five members of a London, Ont. family were killed while they were out for a walk and struck by a vehicle, in an apparently deliberate attack.
An investigation is underway after a crash between a car and a transport truck on Tuesday morning. It happened around 9 a.m. on Highbury Avenue near Ron McNeil Line, north of St. Thomas.
A Ukrainian woman who now lives in Winnipeg is hoping one day she will be able to bring her husband's remains to her new home, a place he hoped one day he too would be able to call home.
A special air quality statement remains in effect for the National Capital Region because of wildfire smoke blowing across the region. Environment Canada's air quality health index is at its highest level of risk.
The wildfire burning at Centennial Lake, about 150 km west of Ottawa is still not under control, but the local mayor says it has been significantly reduced.
The federal government has given an updated deal to a public-service union that signed its collective agreement in the fall in order to match deals reached with the Public Service Alliance of Canada during a strike this spring.
While Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) publicly mulled moving its downtown emergency shelter to a location on 20th Street near the city's core, city documents reveal the wellness centre's present Fairhaven area location was heavily favoured early in the process.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
The provincial wildfire service is warning British Columbians to have a go-bag and make an evacuation plan with this year's wildfire season off to an alarming start.
Many Canadian parents are stretching themselves thin — even going as far as to postpone their retirement in some cases — in order to help pay for their children’s education, according to a new survey.
Real estate experts say B.C.’s housing market is heating back after cooling off due to rising interest rates but the future is uncertain as several economists expect the Bank of Canada to hike rates again.
It’s been 79 years since the war effort known as ‘D-Day,’ which eventually led to the liberation of western Europe during World War II. The day was marked with a service in Normandy with the Royal Regina Rifles on hand.
The province is revealing its housing cards, as 37 more municipalities have been identified as the next group that will be required to create housing targets in their communities to help combat the ongoing housing shortfall.
A wildfire that has been burning out of control on Vancouver Island since Sunday morning is now estimated to cover approximately 20 hectares of dense forest near Port Alberni.
Riverside-Albert Volunteer Fire Department Deputy Chief Daniel O'Hare said the building was fully engulfed when they arrived shortly after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. (Courtesy: Lee Walker)
