A house in Tugaske went up in flames the other week, leaving an elderly couple with only a few possessions.  

60-year-old Don Canon and his 58-year-old wife Ursalla Canon discovered on Friday, April 8th that a fire had started in their garage.  

When Canon realized something was wrong, he opened the garage door and was taken back by a wave of flames. 

Luckily, he sustained no injuries. However, he rescued their three cats from the house and got injured from the cats biting and scratching him on the way out the door.  

“I wasn’t going to let my pets burn. I don’t care what they did to my hands,” he says.  

He spent the next night in the hospital being treated for infection.  

The Tugaske, Eyebrow, Central Butte Fire Departments, and local farmers with water tank tractors all spent 4 to 5 hours putting out the fire. 

When Canon was asked how the fire started, he replied, “I think it started in the car to be quite honest with you but I have no idea.”  

He’s also unsure whether or not an investigation is being carried out.  

The house is still standing but it’s no longer habitable due to smoke and water damage.  

Canon says he and his wife have experienced endless support from community members in Tugaske and in the surrounding areas. 

When the fire was out and it was safe to enter the house, the Co-op brought a flatbed trailer to the property.  

All the firefighters worked to retrieve anything salvageable inside the house. While local residents offered the Canon’s food and comfort.  

They were able to retrieve many things for the Canons like photos, a China cabinet, family drinking glasses, and plates all from their deceased parents as well as much more.  

A nearby neighbor who has been living in Ontario but owns a house in Tugaske heard of the situation from her house sitter and offered her house to the Canons to stay in while they recover.  

“While the house was still burning, (the house sitter) got a hold of her (the house owner) and told her what was happening. She said ‘take them to my house, put them in it. It’s fully furnished, it’s got everything they need,’” says Canon. 

Word of what happened traveled to neighboring towns as well.  

“The night before last, I got a phone call and they said ‘you have to be at the Huron Colony tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock and bring a pick up’. We followed our friends out there and they filled our pick-up with stuff. Food and towels and blankets and personal care items” says Canon.  

He also shared that the people in Huron Colony also gave him brand new boots because he only had old battered shoes to wear.  

The generosity and support didn’t stop there though.  

While their son was driving to Tugaske, he phoned the Redcross who then sent the Canons a pre-paid visa card with $723 on it to help cover any cost of necessities.  

Canon said that he and his wife are blown away and so thankful for the support they’ve received, “The people were phenomenal.” 

However, they do have a rocky path ahead of them.  

Unfortunately, the house wasn’t insurable due to problems with the foundation. Therefore, the Canons have no financial coverage to rebuild or buy a new home.  

Canon made plans with his brother-in-law to come to Tugaske in June to help Canon lift the house and rebuild the foundation before this happened.  

So, the Canon’s children have made a GoFundMe page to try and raise money for a new home.  

“We are going to tear the old house down and we are going to rebuild it in Tugaske. We love this place,” says Canon.  

You can find their GoFundMe page here.