An online fundraiser has been set up for one of the families affected by the Dec. 23 blaze in Hanmer, which damaged three homes, of which two are considered uninhabitable.
As of the writing of this story during the mid afternoon of Dec. 24, the GoFundMe fundraiser had raised $9,180 of its $10,000 goal.
The fundraiser can be found by clicking here.
It has been set up by family friend MJ Pappin for Kate and Sly Blanchette, whose house was to the immediate left of a Park Avenue house in which an explosion took place at approximately 3:50 a.m. on Dec. 23.
The house in which the explosion took place was levelled during the blaze, while the Blanchette house was badly damaged to the point it was deemed uninhabitable by firefighters. The house to the right of the middle house was also damaged, but to a lesser degree and is inhabitable.
The Blanchette family, which also includes Fergus, a golden retriever, was at home at the time of the explosion and have since vacated it to stay with friends.
Though the whereabouts of the family in the middle house which experienced the explosion are unknown, there have been no injuries reported as a result of the incident.
Sudbury.com reached out to the Greater Sudbury Police Service staff sergeant office today for an update but did not receive a response. A media release was issued at 7:44 p.m. on Dec. 24 which noted no injuries had been reported in relation to the incident.*
Detectives from the Criminal Investigation Division are working in collaboration with members of the Ontario
Fire Marshal’s Office to determine the cause of the explosion and fire, and anyone with information is asked to phone police at 705-675-9171 ext. 2341 or make an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 705-222-8477.*
Pappin told Sudbury.com she set up the fundraiser because she knows neither Kate nor Sly would ask for help themselves.
While insurance may end up taking care of them, Pappin said it takes time and she wanted to ensure her friends have as merry a Christmas as possible.
“They’re just the type of family that if this happened to anyone else they'd be the first to do something nice,” Pappin said.
Kate is a retired nurse and Sly works for Vale.
They are empty nesters, and have three adult children.
In the aftermath of the fire on Dec. 23, firefighters worked to remove Christmas presents and other personal belongings from the house.
“If you know Kate and Sly, you know how big their hearts are,” Pappin wrote in the online fundraiser. “Let’s try to ease these next few days, weeks, months, so they can catch their breath and find the strength to move forward during a very overwhelming time.
“Every little bit helps, and when you don’t have the words for something so devastating, just knowing you are thinking about and sending prayers to Kate, Sly and their golden retriever, Fergus, will certainly offer them comfort.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
*Editor's note: These lines were added after this story was initially published as additional information came forward from Greater Sudbury Police Service.
