Huron County family picking up the pieces following house fire
Cassandra Carter and her family had just left their rented farmhouse on Cardiff Road, between Belgrave and Wingham, Ont. early Saturday morning, when they got a phone call.
“One of my cousins called to say he heard there was a fire on Cardiff Road, and it was ours,” said Carter while standing in front of her destroyed home.
Carter rushed to the scene, but it was too late — her family’s home was engulfed in flames, and their two dogs were trapped inside.
“We had a St. Bernard and an Australian Shepherd inside. The Australian Shepherd was Abigail’s birthday present last year,” said Carter.
Carter, her two children and partner, Tim Wharton, lost everything in the blaze, including all their clothes, food, furniture, children’s toys, and keepsakes.
A farmhouse levelled by fire near Wingham, Ont. is seen on Feb. 8, 2023. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)
They’re currently living in a Wingham motel, with leads on some temporary housing, but the lack of available places to buy or rent is making their search difficult.
“Hopefully we’ll find something. Eventually, I guess, there will be something. Just time, I suppose,” said Carter.
Carter said they still don’t know what started the fire, but they are thankful no human members of their family were hurt.
If there is a silver living during the family’s darkest days, it’s been the community support.
Cassandra Carter, her daughters and their landlord stand in front of what’s left of the Carter/Wharton farmhouse on Cardiff Road, following a fire on Feb. 4, 2023. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)
Fundraisers at the girl’s school and Cassie’s employer, the Tim Hortons in Blyth, Ont. has brought in loads of clothing and toys for the girls. Friends have started an online fundraising campaign, already raising over $2,000 in just a few days.
“We knew there would be community support, but the amount that there is, is beyond believable,” said Carter.
To learn more about the Carter’s situation you can visit their Facebook page and online fundraiser.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.