Fire!!! And Ice!!!
It was scary! It seemed unreal. The sky was lit by the gigantic flames. In four hours, that demonic inferno consumed a senior’s home, the residence of 52 vulnerable people in the sunset of their lives, mostly in their eighties and nineties, majority of whom had limited mobility. It was a home of the aged in that little community not far from the Lawrence River in the province of Quebec.
It did not happen in our midst. It took place several hundreds of miles away in the middle of the night when we were fast asleep.
But we shared in the agony of that horrific event as we sat in our living room the next day watching the news.
That is one gift of modern technology – to bring around the world vivid videos of events, happy, sad, heart rending, furious, hopeless, kind and heart warming.
The fire was over and a check of victims and survivors began. At the beginning, three were confirmed dead and about thirty-five were missing. The grim task of searching for remains immediately began but was hampered by extreme cold.
The smoldering skeleton of the blaze turned into a prohibitive pile of ice in a few hours. The searchers’ hands were frozen. The ice was about a foot thick. By the second day, five remains were exhumed but none could be identified.
The bereaved families were starting to be resigned that their loved ones had perished in the fire but had not given up the hope of finding the remains.
We, the viewers and receivers of the very sad news, are left to wonder. Could something have been done to prevent the catastrophe?
A feeling of guilt bothers those who are responsible for the safety of the general public. Could sprinklers help? Did the absence of sprinklers in one of the buildings contribute to the rapid spread of the fire?
The minister of health in Ontario remarked that probably the safety in such homes needs to have another look.
But the reality of the situation is the acceptance that this incident can happen anywhere in Canada.
Fire and ice! Two of the most important needs for survival of man! Fire and water are indeed our best of friends but could be the worst of our enemies. We are very fortunate that we have the means of controlling these forces of nature but a little neglect can cause irreparable damage to life and property.
A little uncrushed cigarette butt can cause an inferno. Careless tramping on thin ice can mean loss of one’s life. Ethereal wintertime scenes of trees with icicles can cause branches to break and result in accidents. Careless driving on ice covered roads can initiate car pile-ups. Walking on slippery sidewalks can end up in broken legs and hip bones.
For people who come from tropical parts of the world, the first winter in Canada can be a long nightmare. One may not be able to afford a car right away and waiting for a bus for five minutes can seem an eternity in the frigid cold.
Wearing at least three layers of clothing may not even be enough at times but it is also very uncomfortable once one gets inside.
I sometimes wonder if the cold weather has something to do in people’s development of goals and aspirations in life.
The most progressive countries in the world are in the parts with the four seasons.
Developing countries are usually in the warm or tropical areas where the weather tends to make people lazy. Has the cold weather been a stimulant to make people discover ways of keeping them comfortable like having hot water in their faucets and heaters in their homes?
Most people who were born and had grown up and lived in areas of the world with winters do not usually hibernate. (The animals do or migrate to warmer zones). They enjoy this cold weather. They invented games and other sports that are played in the outdoors.
They have created stylish outwear to remain in tune with the weather. They have invented and continued to improve the means of transportation in winter. They have made friends with snow and ice.
This winter is a bad one. We have had some very severe storms. We seem to be setting a record on the number of frigid day signals. The snow removal trucks have been out most of the time.
But winter business is flourishing. Ski resorts are doing good business. Workers in snow removal will not apply for unemployment this winter.
Salt manufacturers are not having a day-off. After the snow storm in December, people rushed to salt distributors as if it were the last day of the world. They filled store carts with bags of salt and jostled at each other as if it were the remaining line of survival to get to the salt bin.
This is my 40th winter in Canada. I have not learned how to skate or ski. I had been to only one hockey game. I did not enjoy it. Why would I sit there in the cold in my thick coat and boots when I can watch that game on TV?
I went with some friends on a country skiing trip but I kept on falling on the snow. I was too old (I think) when I started.
As I grow older, I feel the cold of winter becoming deeper. It penetrates my bones. I am becoming a shut in. I just go out when it is extremely necessary.
Again. I have to say to myself, “this is Canada. Why did you come here if you cannot stand the cold?”
Well, I love Canada with its winter. I cannot skate or ski but I enjoy watching those who can, especially with Olympic skills.
I just wish winter is not too long. It is supposed to be three months only but it stretches to six.
Haven’t you noticed? The days are starting to get longer. The sun is still up at five. Like the relatives and friends of those who perished in that fire in winter, I am resigned and hopeful for the coming of the warmth of spring. ****