‘I don’t know what to do’: Saskatchewan woman shares story after losing house to fire on Beardy’s & Okemasis

In an interview with paNOW, Gardypie said they are living in the hall, but it’s not the most ideal of living conditions right now. There are 15 people in the household, all sharing one big room, a kitchen, and a bathroom with no showers.

“There’s nothing for us to use for a shower. We have to borrow people’s houses to shower. We had to use our welfare check to go to a laundromat yesterday, they didn’t help us with the laundry.”

Gardypie said they were offered a hotel room but eventually declined that option.

“A lot of people said, ‘if you go to a hotel room, they’re not going to see you at a priority, you’re ok.’”

Of Roxanne’s children, the youngest is five months and the oldest is 23.

While she is grateful that her family has a roof over their head, she said there have been problems with her housing situation for years, but those problems were never addressed.

Gardypie told paNOW she moved away from her home on the First Nation to Calgary many years ago but returned in 2018 after having a tumour removed. She said she moved back to Beardy’s & Okemasis so that she and her kids could be closer to family.

“It’s why I moved home. Because I was doing good, going to school, had a nice two-storey house, a car, everything in Calgary but I moved home for this.”

When she returned, she had to stay in a house that was condemned as she and her family had nowhere to go. She claimed the band council promised her a home, but never delivered. She said they were promised a multi-bedroom room, that was eventually given away.

That ordeal left Roxanne with many questions.

“Now there’s unanswered questions with public works as well in this community because nobody’s answering questions for anybody and I tried reaching out to them.”

“Me and my 10 kids are registered to this band so why can’t we get a house, why are we not a priority?”

Gardypie eventually applied for Jordan’s Principle, that’s when she found out the story had made the news, something she said was never brought to her attention.

Jordan’s Principle is a government program that ensures all First Nations children living in Canada can access the products, services, and supports they need.

When recalling the event on May 19, Gardypie said her family as well as her granddaughter, her husband and her sister were in the house when it caught fire. Thankfully everyone made it out safely.

Blaine Lake Fire and Rescue responded to the call and determined the blaze was caused by a faulty motor in the furnace.

(Blaine Lake Fire and Rescue/Facebook)

When asked how she and her family are doing since the fire, she was honest in admitting she is not doing well.

“I’m really, really stressed about this. I don’t know what to do, where to go. It’s not okay, we’re not okay. My kids are not okay, my husband is not okay, and we’re not okay at all. It’s upsetting that we have nothing at all and we have to start all over again.”

She said people are asking more questions about what’s needed than providing the help they actually need, adding the Chief and council have been mostly silent.

“The Chief hasn’t even come rather than take one picture with some guy in a red truck and we didn’t even give the permission for that, and they just go ahead and took it.”

Gardypie said she is now seeking a lawyer to help with her situation.

“Everybody saying you’re best to get a lawyer, that’s the only way they’re gonna answer you so then I’m basically stuck here.”

paNOW has reached out to Beardy’s & Okemasis Cree Nation Band Council for comment and has not received a response.

At the end of the day, Gardypie is only looking for answers and for someone to help her family.

“Nobody’s answering for it, so I don’t know what else to do.”

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @PA_Craddock

by Derek Craddock

‘I don’t know what to do’: Saskatchewan woman shares story after losing house to fire on Beardy’s & Okemasis

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