A recent structure fire at a Strathcona Avenue residence has left two people dead and a local family homeless.
Veronica Bock, a harm reduction worker at The Fire Pit in Prince George, lost her daughter, Cree Parenteau, in the blaze. She has launched a GoFundMe to support her family during the tragedy.
She spoke to The Citizen about why she started the fundraiser.
“We had a house fire and everything was lost,” said Bock. “Even my daughter died in this house fire. I started it to get help so that we could get a new house and all the furniture, all the clothes — we lost everything. Everything’s gone. So I’m just hoping to be able to get help with this.”
Bock was not at home at the time of the fire and explained what happened when she found out.
“I was here at work at The Fire Pit and my landlord phoned me and I heard my house was on fire,” she said. “I’m like, 'oh, I’m at work. I don’t know anything about it.' I phoned down to my house and it went automatically to voicemail. I was a bit worried about it … I went down and the house — there were fire trucks, ambulance, everything all over. It was on fire and they were taking people away. Then they said there were a couple of people still in the house.
“By the time I got there, they had already put the fire out. They said there were still a couple of people in there, and my daughter was unaccounted for, and then another person was unaccounted for … We don’t know how it started. They’re doing an investigation right now. We have no idea what’s going on yet.”
She added that RCMP told her she will not be able to take possession of her daughter’s body until the investigation is complete, which may take up to a month.
Members of Bock’s family are currently staying in hotels in the city with assistance from the Red Cross. They are asking members of the community to reach out if they know of, or are willing to rent, a space that could accommodate the family.
“I’m asking for help to just get back to normal,” said Bock. “I just want to get back to normal as quickly as I can and I’m hoping that somebody will have a house that we can rent. That’s the main thing we need. We need a house that we can rent. It’s just so hard to find a place right now. We can afford up to $2,500 a month when everybody puts our money together. I’m just hoping somebody will have a place.”
She said the GoFundMe campaign will help with clothing, furniture and other essentials for everyone displaced in the fire.
“There were five adults, two dogs — and my dog even got stuck under the bed,” she said. “He was in there for 20 minutes in the fire. I think he’s got post-traumatic stress disorder because now he won’t eat. He’s so lost, my little dog.”
Bock also shared one of her most treasured memories of her daughter.
“I was an addict for 20 years,” she said. “I spent all their childhood as an addict. They lived with their grandma, but Cree gave me a big hug one time after I sobered up, and I’ve been clean for over 10 years. She gave me a big hug and said, ‘I forgive you, Mom.’
“That is the one day I remember the most, and that just hit my heart, because I love her so much. She’s my baby, and now she’s gone.”
She added a few words to the Prince George community about the loss of her daughter and her family’s displacement.
“I just want people to know that Cree Parenteau is loved and she’s gonna be missed. And the other victim was a good kid, and they’re gonna be missed. I just want them to know that.
“As soon as I have information about when her funeral will happen, I’ll have it out there for people to know. I just want people to help me as much as they can. If they don’t mind, I just need to replace everything that’s lost. And I wish we knew what started the fire, so I can explain to people what’s going on.”
To support Bock and her family, donations can be made at: gofundme.com/f/home-and-all-contents-lost-in-a-house-fire-please-help
