(Today’s Northumberland file photo)
By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
While there are no updates on the Jan. 30 fire at a Northumberland County Housing Corporation property at 8 King St. W. in Colborne, there are plenty of thanks to go around in the response.
“Our housing staff alongside our partners are working to support the 18 units’ households that were impacted by this fire, and we are working to find housing based on the needs they have as well as NCHC board to navigate next steps,” Associate Director of Housing and Homelessness Rebecca Snelgrove reported at Wednesday’s Community Services Committee meeting.
“I also want to thank all our staff, our social services staff, our facilities staff, health-and-safety staff, paramedics, communications…” she began, before realizing it was a long list and saying that she hoped she wasn’t forgetting anyone.
She went on to thank “staff and partners who showed up last Friday and continue to show up to do this work in the wake of a sad and tragic loss for our community. The housing staff continue to rally around these households that have faced catastrophic trauma, and I really want to thank those staff for showing up and for demonstrating the leadership and high calibre of work – not only the quality of the work we do at Social Services on a regular day. This is what we do in light of an extraordinary crisis.
“I should also acknowledge our other Social Services staff as well – our outreach team, Ontario Works team, our management team and Early Years,” Snelgrove added.
“I want to thank everyone for continuing to show up in a week that has been the hardest week since I started in this career.”
“It’s difficult to try to remember everybody who assisted,” acting Chief Administrative Officer Glenn Dees noted, mentioning the fire departments and the Emergency Planning Departments
“And some of the community response was really impressive,” Dees added – reporting that he saw “literally a line of vehicles coming through with donations. It was really heart-warming and really reflective of the strong community we have in Northumberland.”
“It was really amazing,” committee Chair John Logel agreed.
“I know Social Services as well as everyone else has an awful lot on their plate. Just to be able to leave to assist, to go to something else, and everything else worked along fine – it’s a true statement of a good organization”
“It’s also a measure of the effectiveness of the whole team,” Deputy Warden Mandy Martin commented from her viewpoint as Mayor of Cramahe Township.
“There were outside organizations as well who came – Red Cross, for example. NCHC and their staff and board members. And there were other agencies – search-and-rescue, OPP. It was a really wonderful unified response across this county.
“That is a reflection of how well we all work together and how effective our response can be.”
Breaking News – Video – Breaking News – OFM Unable to Determine Cause of Fatal Fire in Colborne
