Calgarians collect clothing and donations for victims of Marlborough house explosion
Calgarians collect clothing and donations for victims of Marlborough house explosion
Community members gathered Saturday to donate gently used clothing, gift cards and cash, along with messages of support for the victims of a devastating northeast Calgary house explosion.
The incident occurred on Monday March 27 when firefighters were called to 783 Maryvale Way N.E. just before 9 a.m., for reports of an explosion that was felt across much of the neighbourhood.
Ten adults were injured, one home was completely destroyed and 10 others were damaged in the blast believed to be caused by a gas leak.
All of the victims were members of the South Sudanese community and continue to recover in hospital.
It’s why Gar Gar, a community and youth advocate for the South Sudanese community decided to help organize a clothing drive Saturday held at the Forest Lawn Community Association.
“When these people get out of the hospital, all they will have is a hospital gown so the fact that their house is gone and gone with everything, it’s just giving them hope,” he said.
Firefighters attend the scene of a house explosion that injured several people, destroyed one home and damaged others in Calgary, Alta., Monday, March 27, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)
“And when they get better the first thing they will be worried about is "what am I going to wear or where am I going to stay?", and so those are other stressors that are coming for them.”
BROKEN BONES
Deng Deng Tiordit, chairman of the Twic Community Association of Canada says most of the people injured came from inside the home where the explosion occurred.
He confirmed to CTV News that at least two people have broken bones which include injuries to the knees and back. Three of the victims still remain sedated and no one has yet been released from hospital.
“To receive something like this will mean everything for them once they get out,” Tiordit said.
“These donations will be a big deal for them because at the very least they will have some clothes to start their life again.”
Tiordit adds that all of the victims are also above six feet tall, meaning any clothes donations will have to be able to fit those sizes.
“The shortest guy is six feet, but most of them are even taller than that,” he smiled.
“They are South Sudanese, we are tall by nature so we are asking the community not to donate any children's clothing.”
A Go Fund Me page has raised more than $21,000 as of Saturday afternoon.
Several people made donations Saturday to the clothing drive, including Barry Kenley, who just hopes the entire community can wrap its arms around those who need this kind of support.
“I had some extra clothing and extra toiletries and stuff at home. So I figured it's probably better off with other people at this time,” he said.
“I just hope everybody gets well soon and I'm sure they'll get fantastic treatment, great community support, and whoever else can assist by donating anything to people who need it.”
Others donors like Darrell Howard also hope that even the smallest donation can go a long way.
“This is just our way of letting them know we care and that we're here for them.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek says the Liberal government expects to have a plan for the future of 24 Sussex Drive by the fall.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has failed to persuade the House of Commons to condemn the Liberal government's approach to fighting drug addiction.
New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan said Monday that Canada's spy agency has confirmed her long-held belief she is being targeted by the Chinese government, as the prime minister granted the NDP's wish to allow more party members to review top-secret intelligence.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
With the summer swimming season fast approaching, the Canada Safety Council is reminding people to be careful and take measures to prevent drowning, especially after three children died just days apart.
Over 170,000 elementary and high school students weighed in on the Alberta election and the NDP had to hope the real voters were listening, because they won the kids' vote.
On Monday, Fraser Health provided two senior leaders to address the latest letter outlining risks to patients, allegations of muzzling, and pleas for help from emergency physicians in the health authority's hospitals.
The president of the BC Trucking Association is issuing renewed calls for safety after a trailer truck smashed into an overhead pass Monday morning in Langley.
Approximately 200 homes or structures have been damaged by the wildfire that began burning Sunday in the Upper Tanatallon, N.S., area, according to preliminary estimates.
Capital Bike is encouraging Greater Victoria residents to choose cycling as a way to get around the region during "Go By Bike Week," which runs from May 29 to June 4.
Carla White is the only remaining tenant in her building, which is slated to be demolished to make room for a 176-unit condo project. But in order to move forward, the developer must reach an agreement with White -- and she says she won't leave until she's provided with a home that offers the long-term stability she needs to ensure she won't end up back on the streets.
Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating yet another suspicious fire. Two cars parked in front of a commercial building in Montreal East were engulfed in flames in the middle of the night on Tuesday.
The union representing the majority of Quebec's daycare workers is criticizing the government's decision to launch a skimpy 90-hour training program for people who want to be daycare workers but have no prior experience.
It's the end of an era for one sporting goods store at Bank Street and Laurier Avenue. The owner says a lack of foot traffic downtown is behind the decision to close a store that's been operating for 41 years.
The Sandy Hill Child Care Centre has an extra two weeks to get its new home up to code months after a fire destroyed its original site on Wilbrod Street.
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened.
It was a night of indecision at Waterloo region's catholic school board as trustees went back and forth trying to find the best approach to fill a vacant seat.
In a province where there are vast distances between cities and towns, one local group is hoping to get public support for an idea to bridge those gaps with a rail line.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
A Winnipeg family is asking for help to find their missing teenage son whom they haven't seen since he left for school in the Fort Richmond area last Wednesday morning.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
The first twister of 2023 in the country touched down near Regina over the weekend, according to an analysis from the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP).
One person from Estevan, Sask. is dead and another is seriously injured following a collision between a pickup truck and a motorcycle on May 28 near Fortuna, North Dakota.
Firefighters attend the scene of a house explosion that injured several people, destroyed one home and damaged others in Calgary, Alta., Monday, March 27, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)
