Saskatoon business fundraising for employees after house fire

(Keenan Sorokan/CTV News)

Following a massive fire on Friday afternoon that destroyed four homes and damaged two others, the Hampton Village community is working to support the individuals who are dealing with losses after the blaze.

One of the destroyed buildings was home to four employees of Da India Curry House. The local business’s director, Kapil Jaggi, said Friday was an emotional day for him and his team.

“They gave me a video call, and they were all crying. Everybody was crying because they lost...everything,” Jaggi said.

While no injuries have been reported among those who lived in the impacted homes, the blaze has left many shaken. Jaggi said his employees were in their house when the fire broke out, and the whole ordeal has left them in shock.

“When they were living there...I have seen, in the last two to three years, they have accumulated their valuables like jewelry, laptops, their clothes....their memories were destroyed,” Jaggi said.

Jaggi said the four people living there did not have tenant insurance, meaning that they will not see any financial compensation for the roughly $40,000 worth of possessions destroyed in the fire.

“That that is another message for anybody who was renting, because it’s something that, being immigrants, sometimes we don’t know things, we learn as we go....tenant insurance is absolutely necessary for each and every tenant,” Jaggi said.

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The restaurant director said his business has helped the four employees find temporary housing in an Airbnb and provided clothes and shoes for the men, and now he has created a virtual fundraiser to help them get back on their feet.

“We already spent around $10,000, just for them already, but at the same point in time they would need more. So that’s what motivated me to create a GoFundMe so that every little help from the community, which will help them a long way,” Jaggi said.

This fundraiser is one of several which has spawned from the tragedy. Troy Davies, Saskatoon’s Ward four councillor, said he’s proud of his community for their response to the situation.

“It’s truly inspiring to see immediately local businesses are stepping up, offering free food for those families that are in that are affected...just general people reaching out saying, ‘how can I help?’...That’s just the DNA of Saskatoon, which is at the end of the day, when you’re looking at this and trying to find any good out of it, that’s definitely one thing I’d like to definitely focus on is the great things that people are doing just as community and neighbors and citizens,” Davies said.

Davies added thanks to the Saskatoon Fire Department, which responded to the second alarm fire with 32 firefighters on the scene.

“[It was] something that I’ve never seen in my 14 years on city council in my community that I represent. And it was truly devastating. Just the flames going up like that and the wind conditions that was the perfect storm to really push that fire down the street...that’s just devastating.” Davies said.

Jaggi echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the work of the Saskatoon Fire Department, and said those in Hampton Village immediately sprang into action to help their neighbours.

“My staff didn’t have slippers on, and everyone from the neighborhood, immediately offered them clothes, shelter, footwear to wear because everybody was trying. The support they received from the neighbors in the community was much appreciated,” Jaggi said.

Jaggi shared an additional thanks to the Sikh community of Saskatchewan, many of whom have gone out of their way to help those impacted by the fire. The restaurant director emphasized that support for any of the fundraisers created as a result of the fire will go a long way.

“Every little support group will really go a long the way. I mean, it could be $10, it could be $1,000. It doesn’t matter. And if you cannot support, at least share,” Jaggi said.