WELLINGTON, P.E.I. – August 26, 2021 – Residents of Le Chez-Nous Cooperative are very happy to be returning home to their community care centre after a fire destroyed the interior of their residence last winter. The move of the residents began on the morning of August 26 and will continue over several days.

The fire started on January 18 in a basement crawl space near the boiler room and was caused by a faulty electrical circuit in the original structure of the residence. The assistance of emergency services and numerous volunteers allowed the residents and staff to escape safely. The Co-operative is very grateful to the Wellington, Tyne Valley, Miscouche and New London Fire Departments, the Red Cross, the Wellington Royal Canadian Legion and the many volunteers who safely evacuated the residents following the fire.

The Cooperative would like to thank the Mill River Resort who housed the residents for several weeks, for making us feel welcome. Thanks also to the many individuals, businesses and organizations across the province who helped to ensure our residents remained safe and comfortable.

Since mid-February, 30 of the 47 residents have been temporarily housed at Andrews Lodge in Summerside, while other residents have gone to community care centers in Tignish and O’Leary, and a few have been placed with their families. The Cooperative sincerely thanks all these partners. A special thank you to the Andrews Lodge team for their warm welcome during this transition period.

Many contractors and partners worked very hard under the direction of FirstOnsite Restoration to redo the interior of the building and to ensure that everything was in place, allowing the move to proceed safely and comfortably.

« I am looking forward to welcoming the residents back home. I am very grateful to the residents and their families for their patience and understanding, to the members of the Board of Directors, to the staff and to the many contractors and partners for their invaluable efforts and great dedication to ensure the return of the residents, » said Marcel Richard, president of the Cooperative.

« We have been very comfortable at Mill River Resort and Andrews Lodge but we are delighted to be back home with our friends. We can finally be together again in our community, » said Marie Anne Arsenault, a resident of Chez-Nous Co-op.

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PHOTO: Residents of Le Chez-Nous Cooperative were finally able to start moving back into their community care centre in Wellington. On the first moving day are, from left, president Marcel Richard, residents Marie Anne Arsenault and René Richard, and executive director Joey Caissie.

 

For more Information:
Marcel Richard, President
Le Chez-Nous Co-operative Ltd.
Tel: (902) 438-1237