Ont. family living in Port aux Basques loses home to Hurricane Fiona's wrath
The home of a former Barrie, Ont. family living in Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, was destroyed as Hurricane Fiona hit the coast last week.
Captured in a photo by Wreckhouse Press and shared worldwide, the image shows the blue home teetering on the edge of a cliff before being swept into the sea.
For Peggy and Josh Savery, the now iconic photo is a reminder of everything they've lost.
"It breaks you every time you see it because it's still so surreal. It's hard to believe," Peggy said.
Peggy and her family are among dozens in the small coastal town of Newfoundland sifting through storm wreckage that carved out a path of destruction across parts of Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec.
"For us, we lost everything, but I can't even explain the devastation that others have gone through," Peggy said.
The family moved to Newfoundland three years ago. The 80-year-old home represented a dream of a coastal retirement.
"We wholeheartedly believed that once the wind passed, made a splash, and it was done we would be going back to our house the next day. No one expected this level of devastation," Josh said.
Aftermath of the Savery family home in Port aux Basque, N.L. (Submitted by Peggy Savery)
While the community pulls together, Peggy's former colleagues at Ardagh Bluffs Public School in Barrie are offering their support.
"It really came down to Peggy supporting all the kids and staff at our school, and I'm here today to help her," said Greg Harris, former Ardagh Bluffs Public School teacher-librarian.
A GoFundMe campaign created by one of Peggy's sons is being shared far and wide.
"It's really hard for people here, away from them, to know how to help them. I mean, everything is gone," said Allison Thomas, former principal at Ardagh Bluffs Public School.
Washed away by Fiona, Peggy hopes the money will also help others as the road to recovery is expected to be long.
"It's not something we know where it's going yet, but it's definitely not just about us," Peggy said.
As of Thursday afternoon, nearly $27,000 had been raised.
Peggy said it's too early to know if they'll rebuild as they piece their lives back together.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Walmart, Costco refusing to sign grocery code of conduct 'untenable': industry minister
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.
Robbers made off with 'several million euros' of jewels in armed heist at Harry Winston store in Paris
Armed robbers who used a motorbike as a battering ram made off with 'several million euros' worth of valuables in a heist of the luxury Paris boutique of self-declared 'Jeweler to the Stars' Harry Winston, the French prosecutor’s office overseeing the police probe said.
Serious boat crash kills 3, injures 5 on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake: OPP
Three people were killed and five others were injured Saturday night following a boat crash on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.
The secret Italian lakes that most tourists don't know about
Italy has dozens of secret smaller lakes that boast superb scenery, unknown to mass tourism, where locals get together on day trips and enjoy picnics.
Helicopter carrying Iran's president suffers a 'hard landing,' state TV says without further details
A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suffered a 'hard landing' on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without immediately elaborating.
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Woman killed in Montreal's Saint-Michel district: ex-husband arrested
Less than 24 hours after Montreal's 12th homicide investigation began, Montreal police confirmed that a 55-year-old woman's death in St. Michel is the island's 13th homicide.
Canadian immigration asks medical worker fleeing Gaza if he treated Hamas fighters
Lawyers are questioning Canada’s approach to screening visa applications for people in Gaza with extended family in Canada after one applicant, a medical worker, was asked whether he had treated members of Hamas.
Ottawa driver who appeared to be racing another vehicle on Highway 416 facing charges
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says an Ottawa driver is facing charges after being caught going 187 km/h on Highway 416.