‘I lost everything’: Pointe-Calumet man reeling after tree-cutting mishap destroys his home

Community members are rallying behind a man whose home in Pointe-Calumet, Que. was destroyed after a tree-cutting mishap that was caught on video.

A 65-year-old man in Pointe-Calumet, about 45 kilometres northwest of Montreal, is devastated after a tree fell on his home during a pruning operation that went wrong.

“When I got home the tree was on top of the house. It was utterly shocking to see. I have cried so much since then, and I am still crying about it,” Daniel Delisle recounted during a recent interview.

Delisle, who had been renting the $950-a-month house for many years, was not home during the June 23 incident. He found out after his son called to deliver the upsetting news.

“I told him to stop messing with me because he is a jokester. And then he said ‘No dad. The tree actually fell on the house.’”

“It’s a total loss. I lost everything. Everything. The second floor collapsed onto the first,” said Delisle choking up.

He has since rented a small trailer near his former home for $300 a month.

Delisle’s neighbour, Steven Henry caught the entire incident on camera.

In a recent interview, he said he watched as workers cut down the tree from the base of its trunk.

“It was supposed to be a single operation to take down the tree outside of the house, with a loader pulling up a cable so the tree could go on the other side. But I think there was a miscommunication or something, and the tree went on the wrong side,” Henry explained.

Henry said the blame is now being passed from the tree removal workers to the landlord, and then to the insurance company.

“I have known Daniel for many years and he’s a really nice guy. He worked so hard to renovate that house,” he added.

“We have had many floods since 2017. So, I jacked up my house. And they were willing to do it that [for Daniel]. That’s why they were going to cut off the tree because it was in the way. They wanted to lift the house at least five feet.”

To make matters worse, Delisle has not been able to retrieve any of his belongings from the home because the tree remains on the house and the property has been fenced off for safety.

Friends and family have started a GoFundMe to help Delisle, who has been disabled since he was 18 and lives on a monthly pension with no savings.

“I really need help. This trailer is so small. I have a small fridge, and a small gas stove. Food is also so expensive. I’m still on edge and crying all the time. I really hope they rebuild the home because I was good there,” Delisle said.

Henry said a demolition crew is expected to arrive in the coming days to begin the cleanup process.

With files from Daniel J. Rowe.