Moving forward after Bridgewater fire complicated by loss of vital documents

Moving forward after Bridgewater fire complicated by loss of vital documents

Most of the people who lived in the building are from India and came to Canada for a new life

As an exploding inferno engulfed his apartment building in downtown Bridgewater, N.S., on June 10, Akber Shah Abdul Khader Abdul Aziz stood at the barricade, helpless and anxious.

He was enjoying a morning walk when his wife, who was visiting a friend, called in a panic about the fire. He ran home only to discover flames consuming the building while people on King Street recorded videos.

“I was in a situation where I couldn’t think properly,” he said in a recent interview. He and his neighbours mistakenly believed that their neighbour, Amitoj Kaur, a 24-year-old woman living in a basement apartment, was safe and maybe in hospital.

“I didn’t know that she was stuck inside," said Abdul Khader Abdul Aziz, 36.

He said the building was home to 10 residents — eight from India, including Kaur, who was the sole person killed in the fire. Some of the residents are single, some are married, but the eight shared the experience of coming to Canada for a new life.

Moving on after the tragedy will be complicated, not only because of the trauma but also the loss of important government documents, said Samir Upadhyay, a volunteer firefighter with the Hebbville department, one of 15 departments that responded to the emergency.

He’s also been assisting the survivors in his capacity as the community navigator for the town.

“They were scared, they were still worried, and they are thinking about how they can get back on track as soon as possible,” Upadhyay said.

He noted that most are already back to work and have found accommodations.

But Abdul Khader Abdul Aziz and his wife are in a jam. They lost everything including their car. They’ve been temporarily staying with a friend — he’s been sleeping on an air mattress — but haven’t found a place to live for July.

They’ve been out of work since they were laid off by a call centre in Liverpool two years ago. Their work permits have expired and they have submitted paperwork for the provincial nominee program, but after two years they’re still waiting. In the meantime, they’re here on visitor visas, but their passports and other government documents were lost in the fire.

It's a stressful situation, said Abdul Khader Abdul Aziz.

“Whatever we lose, that’s OK, but if we lose our passport documents there's no proof that we are here,” he said.

Upadhyay, who is also originally from India, said the anxiety over lost documents is something he’s trying to help the other fire survivors to manage.

Amid the stress, Abdul Khader Abdul Aziz is full of gratitude to the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, K and A’s Fabulous Finds, and the South Shore Malayalees association for their financial help. Indian Spiceland, a restaurant, gave him food and groceries to ease the strain.

“The community is really good, they helped a lot,” he said.

Members of the Sikh community in the Bridgewater area, which numbers around 150 to 200 people, held a fundraiser and a prayer meeting at a fire hall to remember Kaur.

“Not everybody has their family here. So we together, as a community, [are] a family,” said Ishmeet Kaur, who is not related to the fire victim.

“We pray that wherever she is now, she should be at peace."

Abdul Khader Abdul Aziz said he is hopeful that things will work out, though he doesn’t have a firm plan.

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But he also feels survivor’s guilt that his losses are replaceable compared to the loss of a married woman in the prime of her life. He remembered Kaur as someone who would say hi, and chat with his wife.

Two weeks since the fire, he’s finding it hard to move on. “I’m not thinking straight,” he said.

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Community Engagement Producer, CBC Nova Scotia

Elizabeth Chiu is a community engagement producer who amplifies stories from underserved communities about their issues, aspirations and joys. Have an idea to share? Let her know at elizabeth.chiu@cbc.ca