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Community dinner set to honour responders who handled Q.C. explosion

Potluck-style dinner set for Friday, Oct. 5 at the Queen Charlotte Community Hall
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(Haida Gwaii Observer/File photo)

On Friday, Oct. 5, everyone from Spruce Point to Skidegate is invited to honour the volunteer firefighters, police, and paramedics who responded to the house fire and explosion that rattled Queen Charlotte on Aug. 7.

Starting at 6 p.m. that night, Queen Charlotte council hopes people from both Skidegate and Queen Charlotte will pack the Q.C. Community Hall for the Honouring Our First Responders community dinner. It will be potluck style, with a main course of turkey and ham provided by the village and salads, side dishes, and desserts provided by guests.

“People want to give,” said Mayor Greg Martin at a recent council meeting, noting how even on the day of the explosion, neighbours were bringing out baked goods to the firefighters who put themselves in harm’s way during the explosion and then spent 28 hours dousing the fire at at 622 7th Street.

RELATED: Police find live explosives near site of Q.C. house fire and explosion

Councillor Jo-Anne MacMullin suggested that as well as responders, there should be a mention for the village residents who manned garden hoses to put out the grass fires sparked by the explosion.

“Even tourists were in there helping,” she said.

To volunteer for the community dinner, call the village office at 250-559-4765, email office@queencharlotte.ca, or get in touch on Facebook. Any cash donations made at the dinner will be shared equally between the Queen Charlotte and Skidegate volunteer fire departments.