Online lost and found brings hope amid tragedy in Newfoundland town hit by Fiona
Erica Ingram, a mother of three who has lived in Port aux Basques, N.L. her entire life, lost her home and just about everything in it when post-tropical storm Fiona hit the southwestern coast of the province.
"I've been down to the site where the houses were twice, and it's still not registering to me that it's all just gone," Ingram said in an interview.
"There's nothing there. It's all just rocks. You can't even tell there were homes there at all."
Ingram's home is one of more than 75 in the town of 4,000 people that were destroyed or severely damaged, Newfoundland MP Gudie Hutchings said earlier this week.
Amid the tragedy, Ingram said a bright spot has been finding out that some of her family photos and mementoes have been found.
As residents in Port aux Basques find items like pictures, CDs, tools and toys in the debris, they're snapping photos and posting them in a Facebook group aimed at reuniting people with things they lost to the storm.
"It's just amazing. I'm so grateful there are so many in this community who are willing to help like this," Ingram said.
Before the group was established, neighbours were working away at collecting salvageable items they found in hope of getting them back to their owners, she said. The Facebook group has now streamlined the process.
It was through the group that Ingram learned that some of her cherished family photos had survived. One is of her as an infant being held by her mother and grandmother on the day of her christening. Another is of a birthday cake when Ingram was a young child.
"That meant a lot to me. Once I get them back I'm going to make a memory book for myself and my parents with everything we found, although some of them can't be salvaged," she said. A neighbour is keeping the photos safe while Ingram and her children stay with family.
Peggy Savery, who grew up in Port aux Basques and retired to her hometown with her husband four years ago, said she was shocked to see that almost three-quarters of what has been posted on the lost and found page belong to her.
A massive wave destroyed Savery's home, along with some other houses on her street. She said that at first, seeing her things posted in the Facebook group was difficult.
"But my son pointed out how important it was that people are helping in any way they can. And when I look at some of this and realize I'm going to get these things back, it's heartwarming," she said.
Both Savery and Ingram fled their homes in a hurry without time to pack valuables.
"I was so quick to pack up that the only thing I was concerned about was getting the kids out and grabbing the baby's playpen so he'd have somewhere to sleep," Ingram said. Her children are 13, nine and three months old.
Savery said she was so certain she and her husband would soon return to the house that they left his wallet and her purse behind as they fled early Saturday.
"We deal with big storms all the time, we had no reason to believe we wouldn't be able to go back," she said.
Among Savery's lost belongings are her late father's journals and some of her son's art. Ingram lost a necklace that contained her grandmother's ashes and a vial that held her grandfather's ashes.
Nicole Anderson, another lifelong Port aux Basques resident, created the Facebook group with her mother. She said she's a sentimental person and wanted to make it easier for people to be reunited with their belongings.
Anderson said she feels incredibly lucky that her home was not severely damaged by Fiona, and the lost and found is just one way the town is working to help those who suffered great losses in the storm.
"This whole community is really tight-knit. We all know each other. So it's very heartbreaking and devastating to see what people here are going through," she said. "But I feel like the community is coming together to help everybody."
Amid the unfathomable loss, Savery said there is hope that more cherished items will be found.
"I don't have any clothes that are mine. I have nothing that's mine, but these things are mine," she said. "It's hard to explain just what that feels like. It means a lot to me."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.