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UNDER EVACUATION: Trip of a lifetime on hold for North Delta-born evacuee

A cancelled father-daughter trip to Europe would have cost a 150 Mile family thousands without help
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Tanya Kielpinski (centre) with her father, Terry Tomm (centre top), and her two grandparents who live in the Interior. (Contributed photo)

One in a ten-part series showcasing the volunteerism, community and resilience surrounding those evacuated due to the wildfires engulfing parts of the B.C. Interior.


Tanya Kielpinski was cleaning the bathroom of her travel trailer during her phone interview with the Reporter 香蕉视频直播渏ust for some normal.香蕉视频直播

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 so funny because it香蕉视频直播檚 the last thing I should be doing, but I just, I don香蕉视频直播檛 know. I think it will help,香蕉视频直播 she said. 香蕉视频直播淵ou know what it香蕉视频直播檚 like when you just need a little bit of normal?香蕉视频直播

Kielpinski is one of the 43,000 wildfire evacuees who is desperately hoping for a bit more normal. It香蕉视频直播檚 now more than 14 days since Kielpinski and her family were forced to leave their home in 150 Mile House; Kielpinski and her three sons are living in their travel trailer at a resort 20 minutes outside of Salmon Arm. Her husband left on Wednesday, July 19 to work up north for two weeks.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 been surreal. I don香蕉视频直播檛 even know how to explain it,香蕉视频直播 Kielpinski said.

香蕉视频直播淭o be honest, those days [after the evacuation] kind of all mixed to me. We were evacuated four times in two days, so I don香蕉视频直播檛 remember all of it.香蕉视频直播

The Kielpinskis were camping near Shuswap when they recieved the evacuation order for 150 Mile House. Unable to return home to grab anything beyond what was already in their trailer, the family drove up to 100 Mile House, hoping to get temporary access to check on their cat and chickens.

That night, 100 Mile House was evacuated.

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Kielpinski moved on to Sheridan Lake, still hoping to get temporary access to their home. Sheridan Lake was then put on evacuation alert, and the local MLA requested that anyone already evacuated leave the community so residents could prepare to evacuate.

香蕉视频直播淭hen it香蕉视频直播檚 kind of been two nights here, two nights there, just trying to find a place to set up home,香蕉视频直播 Kielpinski said.

On top of evacuations and home worries, Kielpinski had another problem. Her father, Terry Tomm, had booked a 14-day, father-daughter trip to Europe, but because of the evacuation order, Kielpinski hadn香蕉视频直播檛 been able to grab her passport.

香蕉视频直播淚 [also] knew I couldn香蕉视频直播檛 leave my family,香蕉视频直播 she said. 香蕉视频直播淚 have three boys. And animals. I just knew I couldn香蕉视频直播檛 leave while this was happening to my home.香蕉视频直播

Tomm hadn香蕉视频直播檛 purchased cancellation insurance. When Kielpinski was evacuated on July 7, their trip was seven days away.

Tomm called , their flight provider, and asked if he could move the flight dates. They offered him a $400 refund on the two tickets to London. Then, he called , the tour company he had booked with.

香蕉视频直播淭his was now five days before the trip,香蕉视频直播 Kielpinski said. 香蕉视频直播淭hey said that if my dad had called six days ago, they could have possibly done something, but because it香蕉视频直播檚 such short notice, there香蕉视频直播檚 not much they can do.

香蕉视频直播淎t that point I got kind of upset, because I knew my dad was going to be out all this money. So I took to social media.香蕉视频直播

On a Facebook post, which Kielpinski took down three hours later to avoid negative comments about her dad not purchasing cancellation insurance, Kielpinski asked for suggestions on how to deal with her trip.

Someone tagged Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon on the post. Kielpinski had grown up in North Delta, and Tomm currently lives in the community, but Kahlon didn香蕉视频直播檛 know this when he first saw the post.

香蕉视频直播淣ormally, at work you serve the people of North Delta,香蕉视频直播 Kahlon said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut I just felt like I just wanted to help.香蕉视频直播

香蕉视频直播淭he fire is all around them, they香蕉视频直播檙e doing so much,香蕉视频直播 he added. 香蕉视频直播淚 thought the last thing they should be worrying about is this.香蕉视频直播

He called Kielpinski, and told her she didn香蕉视频直播檛 need to worry about her trip.

香蕉视频直播淲hen Ravi first called me, the initial feeling I can say was huge relief, because I just felt so appreciative of someone helping,香蕉视频直播 she said.

Kahlon called British Airways, getting help from the . At first, there was nothing. Eventually, he managed to secure Tomm and Kielpinski credit to rebook their flights any time in the next six months.

Then it was on to Expat Explore, which eventually credited the pair most of their money, allowing them to use the credit anytime in the next year.

香蕉视频直播淚 think we lost maybe $1,500 or something from that,香蕉视频直播 Kielpinski said. 香蕉视频直播淚t all worked out amazing.香蕉视频直播

Thanks to help from strangers and social media, Kielpinski doesn香蕉视频直播檛 have to worry about Europe or her dad香蕉视频直播檚 finances anymore. She can focus on creating a plan for her family that will keep them focused for the next two weeks.

香蕉视频直播淣o one knows when we are going home. People think that it will be a while,香蕉视频直播 she said.

香蕉视频直播淥ur plan is to set up here for the next week or two. If our house does get let back in, that香蕉视频直播檚 what I will do.香蕉视频直播

In the meantime, Kielpinski is going to keep cleaning the bathroom.





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