N.S. manufacturer devastated by wildfire calls for provincial support
It took years for the MacKay family to build its company, Moulding Warehouse, from the ground up.
It had just upgraded some of the equipment in its plant a week before the May 28 wildfire tore through the area, reducing the facility to rubble and ash.
“To come here and look at it has been very devastating and emotional,” says MacKay as she stands on the burned-out site.
Power poles that were once brand-new now appear to stand precariously, chunks of the wood eaten away by the fire.
“We're still paying our employees, most of them, there was a few we had to lay off,” she says.
Mackay says the plant used to churn out 10,000 feet of moulding every day, in a province struggling to keep up with the demand for housing.
“And now that's not being made, so that is going to have a trickling effect on the rest of the industry, and all Nova Scotians,” she says, “so it’s going to drive prices up, so that’s why we are determined to get back up and running very quickly, but we need help.”
Monday, the province announced a grant of $2,500 for small businesses impacted by mandatory evacuations during the wildfires.
Government says it's received 320 applications as of Friday.
In its news release, the Premier’s Office and the Department of Economic Development included manufacturers under the list of eligible businesses.
But MacKay says regardless, Moulding Warehouse did not fit the criteria
“We fell through the cracks on that one,” she says.
Now, she's spending every waking moment trying to see what can be recovered through insurance, a long and arduous process.
“They're a company that has a client base that represents 80 per cent of contractors, and we know how strained the housing market is already,” says Hammonds Plains-Lucasville Liberal MLA Ben Jessome.
He says the province needs to do more to support business owners who don’t qualify for the wildfire relief money.
“We need to be more intentional about supporting these businesses and business owners,” he says.
Government spokesperson Carley Sampson says in an email that officials “understand there are many other businesses who’ve been significantly impacted by these wildfires, including those who’ve had to close their businesses unexpectedly when they’d otherwise be open. We’ve been working together with the business communities in the affected areas to better understand the ongoing impacts to their operations and to identify further needs for support.”
“We're going need some funding, the machinery now is 75 per cent more, the cost of it, so to replace what we had? There's no money flowing to us now I can tell you that,” says MacKay.
She is determined to get the business up and running again.
With 151 homes destroyed in the Tantallon fire, she says her business will be crucial as those families also try to rebuild.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.