20 years after the Ice Storm brothers Gary and Bruce Barton walk through the school they used as an emergency shelter in 1998.
Both men were members of the Vankleek Fire Station at the time- Bruce was the Chief.
They remember seeing hydro poles covered in thick ice, split, and fall to the ground. People in the community were left in the dark for 10 days.
St. Jude Catholic Elementary School had a built in generator. The Fire Department took it over, setting up beds, and food stations.
The Army had provided a truck filled with food and other supplies. It was one of the only places to receive a warm meal at the time.
“Honestly we were kind of flying by the seed of our pants because we really weren’t prepared for that type of emergency, but with the cooperation of everyone…. We came together,” said Gary Barton, who became the Mayor of Champlain Township in 2002.
Fire crews cooked and cared for people inside the shelter, while still responding to emergencies happening outside.
“I remember our first call there was a wire down… then a fire call,” Bruce said.
Other members were responsible for going door to door to check on people. They provided generators for a short period so people could warm their water, before taking the equipment to the next home.
Some members in the community had wood burning stoves, and were able to stay put. Evelyn Berneque was one of them.
Her family decided to share the warmth with 14 seniors who lived in home down the road that was without power.
“We settled them all downstairs where it was warm and that was it – they never left,” she said.
For six days the guests stayed in spare rooms, or on couches and mats around the home.
Berneque’s husband was gone for days to assist the army. She says the group was comforting during a difficult time in her life – she was diagnosed with cancer right before the storm.
“I think the good lord put these people with me – keep me company.”
