On January 8, 12 people lost their homes in an apartment building fire in L’Orignal. Agencies began following their processes of assisting victims, and one of those victims has shared her experiences.
The fire destroyed a former motel on County Road 17 that had been converted into apartments. Former resident Judith Belisle said when the fire began shortly after noon on January 8, the occupant of another apartment heard the alarm and alerted her of the fire. She went outside, but then briefly returned inside to retrieve the last of her four dogs. No humans or pets were injured during the fire.
The Canadian Red Cross and the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) Department of Social Services both have policies and protocols they follow in the event of a disaster where displaced occupants of a household require assistance. Those policies and protocols were followed in the days after the fire.
According to an email from Canadian Red Cross Communications, the agency’s Personal Disaster Assistance Team provides emergency food, clothing, accommodation, and personal services for up to 72 hours to individuals and families who have been affected by local, small-scale disasters, such as house fires or floods. Should needs continue after three days, the Canadian Red Cross will make connections to other community organizations to further assist the individuals or families.
Part of the assistance the Red Cross provided was three nights accommodation at a hotel for displaced people who required it. UCPR Social Services provided a fourth night at the hotel.
On Monday, January 8, a representative from UCPR Social Services met with the residents to discuss their needs and answer questions. Director of Social Services Sylvie Millette said no public housing is available for fire victims and there are already more than 800 people on the waiting list for public housing across the UCPR. However, the department can offer financial assistance with first and last month’s rent for people who find a new home, and with their moving costs.
“Most had already secured temporary accommodation with family or friends, and some had already found an apartment,” Millette said.
She also explained how Social Services also referred the fire victims to other services in the community they may have required. Those include the legal clinic, insurance brokers, food banks, and emotional support assistance. A representative from Mental Health Crisis Services from Hawkesbury and District General Hospital was also present at the January 8 meeting.
Milette added that as of January 9, Social Services had not received any official requests from fire victims for additional assistance and the department was still assisting three individuals with finding a temporary home.
For Belisle, her temporary home was with people who volunteered to take her in.
“I’m on a couch right now,” she said.
Others volunteered to look after her four dogs.
Belisle said finding a good, permanent home is a challenge.
Local resident Anne Sourire organized a one-day collection of clothes and other household goods on January 8. However, both she and Belisle said it was difficult to give some items to people who did not yet have a permanent place to live. Millette was pleased with the community effort to help the victims.
“I am very proud of the way the community came together to help these people in dire need of assistance,” she said.
