Volunteers work together to help Cape Breton man whose home had been vandalized

Good Samaritans assist vandalism victim in N.S. A group of good Samaritans assembled to help a Cape Breton man clean his property after being vandalized. Ryan MacDonald reports.

HALIFAX — A team of volunteers have come together to help a Cape Breton man whose home had been vandalized.

Wayne MacDougall’s home in Sydney Mines, N.S. sustained over $50,000 in damage earlier this month.

On Saturday morning, a crew of benevolent community members assembled to help MacDougall restore his home to its previous condition.

"We had two contractors come forward; an electrician that came forward and offered his time free of charge," says volunteer Denise Northen. "It completely amazes me that we have such a wonderful community to step up so quickly."

While MacDougall has known some of the volunteers for decades, others were total strangers. He even had to turn some willing helpers away due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions.

"Somebody said to me that it's a reflection of the person I am, but it's not. It's a reflection of the people they are," says MacDougall. "It's the community coming together in good hearts, and kind people that just want to see this stuff stopped."

A contractor who assisted with the repairs says the home should soon be ready for new gyprock and then the crew can move on to electrical work, flooring, and assessing replacements for windows and doors.

While the damage done to his home was upsetting, MacDougall says Saturday's show of support was uplifting.

"There's more good people in this world than there is bad, that's for sure," says MacDougall. "I'm overwhelmed. It's hard to describe the kindness that I've been shown and the generosity of people."