As you may have seen in Nunatsiaq News (https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/two-apartment-units-badly-damaged-in-iqaluit-fire/), two units of an apartment building in Road to Nowhere were badly burnt on August 22. One of the units belonged to Meg and Chris Gerlach, and everything has been destroyed. Thanks to the quick action of their house sitter, their dog Tobi is safe. Their beloved cats Charlie and Olivia tragically did not survive.

In Meg’s words:

“There's no way to jump into this eloquently, so I'll just write. Christopher and I lost our home last night in the fire on Road to Nowhere. It is completely destroyed and we've lost everything. There is still no update on what caused it but honestly, it doesn't change anything for us or our neighbours. Our homes are gone.

“Among the loss were our two amazing cats, Charlie and Olivia. The pain we both feel is unbearable right now. Like, I don't even know how to process losing them, writing this doesn't feel real and it's not fair. We have loved them their whole lives and we weren't there to save them, I feel sick and numb. There's no other way to describe it.

“I don't know where to go from here. I am angry and I am so sad that it feels like I can't breathe. I don't even know how to end this post. The grief feels like a vice and my heart is just broken. This is literally the worst pain I've ever felt in my life.”

While Meg and Chris have been receiving support from friends and family, there is a difficult journey ahead as they have to replace all their clothing and household items lost in the fire. All of Stephan’s items were lost too. The amount we’re trying to fundraise for them here won’t come close to covering everything, but it’s a significant start.

Please share and donate if you can to help them get back on their feet. Donations will be used to buy clothes, furniture, household items, and associate shipping costs.

Thank you everyone for your support during this terrible time.