Three hairdressers have found temporary homes and jobs in Cochrane after fleeing Fort McMurray. “Hopefully we can go back soon but no one knows (the situation), ” said Laarni Wycoco.
Three hairdressers have found temporary homes and jobs in Cochrane after fleeing Fort McMurray.
“Hopefully we can go back soon but no one knows (the situation), ” said Laarni Wycoco.
Wycoco, along with Jenalyn Arciaga and Joanna Nuguid arrived in Cochrane last Thursday with the help of their Fort McMurray boss and the owner of Cochrane’s Tommy Gun’s Original Barbershop, Aileen Dunn.
Dunn’s friend/co-worker owns the barbershop in Fort McMurray, where all the ladies were working on May 3, when the government issued a mandatory evacuation order on the city.
“Our house was near the hospital and I could feel the heat from the fire as we were leaving the city, ” Nuguid recalled.
She hitched a ride with friends after grabbing some important documents and a couple changes of clothes from her home before heading to Edmonton.
Wycoco and Arciaga picked up their daughters from school before finding rides with friends. They both ended up in Edmonton at the end of their travels.
Wycoco’s family originally went north but feared the fire would take over the city and block the highway leaving them stranded, so they drove south. Arciaga said her family travelled south, but they were evacuated from their first stop after two hours.
“I was scared and in shock - a mix of emotions, but mainly scared for my daughter, ” Arciaga said.
Wycoco, Arciaga, Nuguid and their families were all staying in Edmonton in hotels, with help from their boss before she drove them all to Cochrane after Dunn offered to help.
Once in Cochrane, Dunn put the call out on social media asking for assistance.
“After posting, I had over 30 messages of people in town offering help and housing, no questions asked, ” Dunn said.
“You don’t realize how kind people can be - it is heartwarming. ”
All three families have found temporary housing, thanks to the kindness of Cochranites but Dunn is still searching for one home that can accommodate all seven of them and where the women can support each other. The ideal home would be walking distance to the Quarry, because they don’t have vehicles and are struggling with the lack of transit in town.
“Initially we thought it might be a couple weeks but it is sounding like it will be a couple months before anyone can go back, ” Dunn said.
All the women agreed Cochrane is a “lovely ” place and they are grateful for the “helpful ” and “supportive ” residents ,but they cannot wait until the evacuation order is lifted and they can go home.
“I came to Canada four years ago and moved to Fort McMurray, it is my home, ” Nuguid said. “It has been hard but it is OK as long as we are safe. ”
