Mennonite group leaves Cape Breton after 8 months of post-Fiona volunteer work

An event on Thursday in Sydney, N.S., marked the end of post-Fiona recovery efforts by the Mennonite Disaster Service in Cape Breton after eight months of work.

The group worked in partnership with the United Way of Cape Breton to repair the homes of uninsured families affected by Fiona, the storm that devastated parts of Atlantic Canada last fall.

During the eight months, a total of 458 volunteers flew to Cape Breton from across Canada, collectively giving 32,016 hours of volunteer service. 

“The need that I saw when I came in February was … I cried,” said Roman Hurst, a volunteer co-ordinator with the Mennonite Disaster Service.

Fiona left a path of destruction that hit coastal communities hard, in particular the cliff side area of No. 2 colliery in Glace Bay.

Amy Casey is a homeowner whose house was severely damaged during Fiona. 

“Our neighbour’s roof had actually blown off and slammed into the side of our house and crushed our van. … There was just complete destruction around us,” she said.

“A lot of the neighborhood are old mining houses, company houses, and they’re not insurable.”

Lynne McCarron, the executive director of the United Way Cape Breton, said at the start of the program, some homeowners were hesitant to come forward because of the stigma of poverty.

“A lot of these people are very proud, they didn’t come looking for help. We needed to kind of make sure that we found them.”

McCarron said that for those who felt vulnerable about their situation, the compassionate nature of the Mennonite volunteers was a perfect fit.

“They were so kind and trusting that they built relationships very quickly,” she said.

Destruction

For Hurst, the scope of the destruction was jarring. He said one family had been living in a home filled with black mould because they couldn’t afford the cost of remediation. 

“They were first on our list,” said Hurst.

Both the homeowners and the volunteers agreed the need of Cape Bretoners and the generous response of volunteers left a mark with them they won’t forget. Casey said the entire community knows the work done by the Mennonite Disaster Service changed the hearts, and the circumstances, of Cape Bretoners.

“We don’t know what we would have done without them, they went above and beyond,” Casey said. “We are truly grateful for all the help they gave us, and not just us, but our community.”

CBRM Mayor Amanda MacDougall said the kindness of the volunteers lifted the spirits of those who suffered the worst. 

“This group is responsible for building walls, for repairing roofs, but more than that for restoring hope in humanity,” she said. 

Hurst said he still has a hard time accepting the scope of relief his team brought to the island. 

“[It’s] just mind boggling to me that we would have that kind of an impact.”