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UPDATED: Langley residents create convoy to aid fire evacuees

A group will gather donations on Friday evening.
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A local man will lead a convoy of trucks to Princeton Saturday to take supplies to fire evacuees in Princeton.

Scott Ervin made two trips up to Allison Lake last weekend to clean out his cabin in case of fire in the area.

He realized he could haul goods up to the evacuees he saw in Princeton to help out.

After asking around and recruiting a few friends and family into the plan, he suddenly had four to five trucks and a host of donated goods.

“Everybody’s offered to help,” Ervin said.

Stuart Watson is one helper, a friend of Ervin who saw his intial posting on Facebook. On Friday he was helping load a truck full of goods outside the Otter Co-op.

The movement grew fast, he said. He first contacted Scott on Tuesday. Another friend made list cards showing what goods are in need in Princeton for the evacuees.

Another member of the group is already planning his next trip. Bob Gough started a Princeton Fire Relief group on Facebook and was startled at how fast i grew.

“We’ve got good friends in the Princeton area that are on evacuation right now,” he said.

Many of the group have friends or relatives in the affected areas.

“I have family that lives in 150 Mile and Williams Lake,” said Leah Nadeau.

She’d felt helpless since the fires started.

“This is a kind of way to give back,” she said.

The Langley Animal Protection Society is helping the project.

“We will be providing what we can for the truck that is leaving on Saturday,” said Jayne Nelson, executive director of LAPS.

The full list of needs for the Princeton Evacuation Centre includes:

• Gatorade

• Hay bales

• Animal cages

• Pet food for dogs, cats, and small pets

• Blankets

• Paper towels

• Toilet paper

• Non-perishable food

• Personal hygiene items

• Shampoo and conditioner

• First aid supplies

• Feminine products

• Laundry soap

• Kitty litter and cat litter boxes

• Not pads, pens, and stationary

• Handi wipes

• Bottled water

• Soap and towels

• Sealed snacks, protein snacks, granola bars, etc.

• Toys for ages from newborn to 16 years old

The trucks were loaded Friday, to head up first thing Saturday morning, making one more stop in Sumas and then driving up through Hope.

“We’ll do another load if we have to,” said Ervin.

Any goods for donation can be dropped off at the Otter Co-op between 6 and 8 p.m. on Friday.

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Matthew Claxton

About the Author: Matthew Claxton

Raised in Langley, as a journalist today I focus on local politics, crime and homelessness.
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