By Tom Peters | The Advocate
The Wallace and Area Development Association (WADA) has turned over more than $16,000 to Aquashell Holdings Inc. to help cover daily expenses of employees who were put out of work when the Aquashell lobster processing plant in Wallace River, N.S., burned to the ground a few weeks before Christmas.
Becky Scott, WADA chair, said the money, raised in about three weeks, will help offset daily expenses of employees who lost personal items and money in the fire which also destroyed several vehicles.
A volunteer community group “spearheaded all the advertising, collected and deposited the money and WADA wrote a check to Aquashell,” Scott said. “We have finalized that fundraiser and it was just an amazing response from the community,” she said.
The money will be dispersed to employees by Aquashell.
“The funds are for everyday needs that probably won’t be covered in insurance,” Scott said. “People lost Christmas money in cars, cell phones, licences and there is a cost to replacing all these things. That was the intent of the fundraiser, to deal with immediate family needs,” she said.
The plant was a major employer in the community. Approximately 50 people evacuated the plant when the fire began and there were no injuries. Approximately 100 people were employed at the facility.
Heather Fairbairn, communications director for the provincial Municipal Affairs, said in an email that: “The office of the (NS) Fire Marshal has conducted their investigation into the fire. The cause was categorized as undetermined.”
Aquashell officials have not been available to discuss the future of the plant. It is understood, however, that plant executives have talked to employees.
There have been some unconfirmed reports that the plant will be rebuilt but not in time for this year’s lobster season.
Scott said the disaster was an eyeopener for the community.
“From that endeavor a new committee has been struck called, the Wallace Area Relief Fund (WARF). We will be meeting in the future because we want to establish a community fund for any future needs because we need to be prepared. We want to be proactive,” with anything that may come up in the future, she said.
