Neil Ginter wasn't working on shift that night, but once he got that phone call his co-workers were in trouble, he was there.
As a sawfiler, Lakeland Mills was a part of his life and in the wake of an unimaginable tragedy it touched a part of everyone in his hometown.
Tuesday night's ceremony at the Civic Centre was a night to remember Glenn Roche and Alan Little, the two Lakeland workers who died of their injuries as a result of the explosion and fire a year ago that destroyed the sawmill and shattered the lives of many others.
"All of us, including the owners of Lakeland Mills, lost something that evening," said Ginter.
"The employees who were there that night deserve special recognition. They went out of their way to help their co-workers and friends to get out of the mill, and courageously risked their lives in doing so. They showed true leadership and bravery in such a frightening and uncertain time."
On the first large gathering for Lakeland employees since the funerals of Roche and Little, 400 people gathered to hear about how the struggles continue for many of the workers and their families. Some of them are still without jobs, having difficulty making ends meet. Some continue to seek counselling.
Speaking for the employees, Ginter thanked the firefighters, ambulance paramedics and police for their roles in risking their own lives to bring workers to safety. He thanked the physicians, nurses, and counsellors at UHNBC who stayed long after their shifts ended or were called in that night.
He remembered the professionalism of hospital cafeteria staff, who cared for the families as they waited for word about the condition of the workers. And he thanked the people who opened their wallets and put on fundraisers to provide a $400,000 lifeline offered to Lakeland employees who lost their livelihoods to the fire.
Little's wife, Jo Burrows, who has relocated to Vancouver Island since the fire, and Ronda Roche, the widow of Glenn, sat in the front row with their families.
"We cannot turn back the clock, what happened has happened," said Roche, in her speech. "Bad things occur, either through an act of God or an act of nature and this tragedy was neither.
"My thoughts are with all that were present that night and their families, who endured life at its worst. I know, for all of us, that life will never be the same."
Greg Stewart, president of Sinclar Group, the mill owner, spoke about how the disaster bound the city in empathetic grief and how difficult it is to commemorate the event, one year after it happened.
"My greatest grief comes from knowing the pain this tragedy has caused the families of Al and Glenn," said Stewart. "Words will never be enough. But I want to say from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry for your loss.
"The workers on shift that night have endured more loss, more emotional upheaval in the past year than most do in a lifetime. You suffered personal injury, the loss of co-workers, the loss of your job, and some of the certainty of purpose you once had and your families have suffered with you. For this, I am truly sorry.
"I wish we had answers for what happened that night, but the fact is we don't know, and may never know for sure."
Mayor Shari Green fought back tears as she described how helpless she felt when she learned of the Lakeland fire while in Halifax attending a conference.
She talked about a phone call she made three months earlier, the night of the Burns Lake sawmill fire, to Luke Strimbold, then a 21-year-old newly-minted Burns Lake mayor.
"I said Prince George would do what it could to help, not really knowing what that meant," said Green. "Luke was the first person to call me on my cell the night of the Lakeland fire and he said, 'We'll do what we can for you.'"
Master of ceremonies Susan Scott was called into service the night of the fire as a spiritual counsellor to UHNBC when both hospital chaplains were unavailable.
Scott implored the workers to not keep their thoughts bottled inside and to seek help.
"Please remember that 'get over it' applies to losing at cards, a bruised ego or scraped knees - not to what was experienced a year ago," said Scott. "If you come here tonight feeling overwhelmed, please talk to someone. And please remember, tears are good and useful things."
