Calgary couple loses B.C. home to wildfire

It’s believed over 100 homes were completely destroyed on the north-shore of Shuswap Lake in B.C. as a result of raging wildfires.

One of those homes was owned by a family from Calgary.

The fires have ripped through the communities of Scotch Creek and Celista on the north shore of Shuswap Lake — a popular tourist destination roughly 500 kilometres west of Calgary.

Julie and Kevin Matiowsky aren’t tourists, building the home in the late 90s, before living there permanently in 2016.

It was their forever home — a place where loved ones could gather, a place where they saw themselves living long term.

Julie described a whirlwind of emotions are she and her husband were evacuated last Friday, bringing with them a box of some photos and other personal possessions that could never be replaced.

“As we drove out of the driveway, I looked back at my house and I said ‘Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be back in two weeks,’ and we drove away,” she said.

After arriving in Calgary to stay with some friends, there was still some hope their home would be spared.

But those thoughts were short-lived, after seeing a video online.

“My husband saw a clip of someone on Facebook driving a boat past our house and from the landmarks that were there he said he could see our front windows and the fire through the windows and our house was completely engulfed in flames,” Julie recalled tearfully.

The Matiowsky’s are now figuring out their next steps, including insurance and where they will live.

“Right now we’re just waiting for insurance and waiting to hopefully move forward and start a new life here in Calgary,” Julie said. “We don’t know where we are at this point, but I don’t think we’ll be going back.”

The family is not only mourning the loss of their home, but everything it held — physically and sentimentally.

“They tell you, ‘Take your documents, take your pictures. things that can’t be replaced,'” Julie said. “I have so much in my house that can’t be replaced — my wedding dress, I had my bouquet, my silk bouquet — a cradle that my grandpa made for me.

“There’s just so much that can’t be replaced.”

It’s a reality hundreds of others living in the Shuswap region are facing.

The Bush Creek fire in the region is labelled as top priority in B.C. as thousands of people remain evacuated.

A GoFundMe has been launched for the couple to help them recover from the loss.