Over the weekend on June 2, the home of Cowichan Tribes member Charlie George burned to the ground in spectacular fashion with family treasures still inside.
The City of Duncan fire department responded to the fire just after 5:12 p.m., with four of their apparatuses and 13 of their members to battle the blaze which took 20 minutes to contain — the firefighters were on site for two and a half hours. The cause of the suspicious fire is still to be determined and is currently being investigated by the RCMP.
“The house is a total loss,” said City of Duncan fire chief Landis Carmichael.
George not only lost his home which he watched burn to the ground, but also several everyday household items and things much closer to his heart that can’t be replaced such as traditional regalia, and family masks he inherited from his grandparents.
A fundraising page was started with the goal of $500,000 to help George with the long process of rebuilding and the incredible generosity of those living in the valley is evident as nearly $10,000 was raised in the first 19 hours. George who is a well loved community member both in Duncan, across B.C., throughout the Friendship Centre Movement and beyond is always the first to offer up spiritual and cultural help without question when needed. Now is the time to pay it forward, says the fundraising page.
To help George on his long journey with rebuilding and recover some of what he lost make a donation to Helping Charlie George Rebuild on GoFundMe.
“Thank you on behalf of the Charlie family and the BC Friendship Centre,” read a post on Facebook.
