Nearly seven weeks after tornadoes ripped through the Ottawa area, residents are beginning to see some relief.
A meeting was held in Kinburn Wednesday night to provide an update on the progress being made within the affected communities. The West Carleton Foodbank donated a $50, 000 to support victims of the tornado.
The Red Cross also announced last week it will be offering more financial assistant to people in the Ottawa region still dealing with the tornado recovery.
Greg Patacairk, the co-chair of the West Carleton Disaster Relief, said the help couldn’t come soon enough.
“The mood is changing, things are looking more positive” said Patacairk. “The machine is starting to turn.”
But the meeting was about more than just the cash for one tornado-victim. Sanda Spinks lost everything in the tornadoes, but got something back at Wednesday’s meeting.
“They recovered some of my slides, slides I forgot I even had, pictures, old pictures, our family pictures,” said Spinks. “I’m thrilled, my family will be thrilled”
A group of volunteers had been quietly working to recover personal items that had been scattered by the tornadoes. A baby blanket, a canvas painting and a stuffed toy dog were just a few of the items collected and on display for residents to pick up.
West-Carleton councillor Eli El-Chantiry says it’s the little things bringing smiles to the faces of residents.
“Ironically you lose your home, your life savings, but you’re happy to find your album,” said El-Chantiry.
When asked what his experience has been like with some of the devastated families, El-Chantiry was lost for words. He says recently, there’s been a turning point in the community.
“It’s a very resilient community,” said El-Chantiry. “We dealt with it about a year-and-a-half with the flood, and now with the tornadoes, it honestly makes us stronger.”
