ItB次元官网网址檚 been a year that SaanichB次元官网网址檚 Margo Lisik is ready to put behind her.
She lost a brother, a sister, a close colleague at work, had her van broken into during a volunteer trip and, since May 14, her family has been displaced by a . On top of that, Lisik, a teacher at Lau Welnew Tribal School near Brentwood Bay, is at home this month recovering from preventative surgery, something sheB次元官网网址檒l get over soon, she says.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been just overwhelming, thatB次元官网网址檚 all I can say,B次元官网网址� Lisik said. B次元官网网址淭he support from our church has been wonderful, weB次元官网网址檙e thankful for the neighbours collecting our mail for us, but this year has been a lot of things to take in.B次元官网网址�
The family leaned on church support, with members of the Emmanuel Baptist congregation helping the Lisiks to find furnished rentals.
B次元官网网址淓ven then, in one case we needed dishes so people from the church gave us that, others gave us money to help with buying food to get started,B次元官网网址� Lisik said.
The family is also grateful no one was hurt in the fire. It started sometime between 10 and 10:30 a.m. on MotherB次元官网网址檚 Day while the family was at church. They were told it was caused by faulty wiring and the damage estimate by Saanich Fire was $300,000. Had it happened overnight, it could have been a much different result.
Firefighters spent all day at the house ensuring the smouldering embers were out.
Six months later, there is still no return date for the Lisik family, who have lived on Homer Road since 2000.
B次元官网网址淚 will be glad to have 2018 come around,B次元官网网址� Lisik said. B次元官网网址淭he fire repairs and insurance takes a long time, thereB次元官网网址檚 been nothing straight forward about it.B次元官网网址�
Passersby might think the house looks in tact from the street but itB次元官网网址檚 not. There is damage to the structure, and because of the heavy water and smoke damage, a lot of belongings and the interior are ruined.
For now, the Lisiks B次元官网网址� Margo, her husband Laval, who works at the Esquimalt dockyard, and daughter Genevi猫ve, also a teacher B次元官网网址� are renting a Langford home. ItB次元官网网址檚 their second rental since the fire (third if you count the initial stay at a hotel) and they are likely in need of a third as they are still waiting for their insurance company to post the repair of their home as a request for proposals.
People donB次元官网网址檛 realize the long process of returning to a home after a fire, Lisik said.
B次元官网网址淥nly now are we learning how hard it is to itemize everything in the home,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 slow going. WeB次元官网网址檝e talked to others who knew people that had been through a fire, and it takes a while.B次元官网网址�
ItB次元官网网址檚 little things, like the back and forth emails niggling over how to categorize a laptop, or finding time to visit the local restoration company, which closes at 4:30 p.m. and isnB次元官网网址檛 open on weekends.
At the time of the fire both LisikB次元官网网址檚 daughter Genevi猫ve and son Isaac, who both teach at the Lighthouse Christian Academy in Langford, were living on Homer. Isaac has since moved out, and his engagement to his fiancee has become a rallying point for a family, and mom, trying to stay positive.
Among the hard-to-replace items that were lost was Genevi猫veB次元官网网址檚 custom highland dancing outfits (she borrowed an outfit to compete on stage at the Victoria Highland Games one week after the fire). Ironically, while IsaacB次元官网网址檚 big set of bagpipes managed to survive, his smaller set was stolen out of LisikB次元官网网址檚 van during a trip to Manitoba with their youth group.
B次元官网网址淭here is some good,B次元官网网址� Lisik said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e focused on IsaacB次元官网网址檚 engagement. WeB次元官网网址檙e thankful that all of us are safe, no one was hurt, and things that can be replaced.B次元官网网址�
reporter@saanichnews.com
