Cape Breton photographer offers to replace wedding pics of Fort Mac fire victims

An award-winning Cape Breton photographer has been fielding calls from people whose wedding and family photos were lost in the Fort McMurray wildfire.

John Ratchford of North Sydney says he was moved in particular by a call from the brother of Sarah Scott, who came back to Cape Breton this summer to be married and then returned to the Alberta oilpatch.

"They just lost their home; they lost everything, and they're heart-broke," Ratchford recalls the brother telling him. "Can you do something? And I said, 'Sure.'"

Ratchford took to Facebook last weekend to let people know that if he took their photos, he still has them. In fact, he says he has saved and backed up everything he ever shot since 1993.

Saved everything

Sarah and Shane Scott were married in August but received their wedding album only last month.

"To not have that at this time in their life, I just thought, 'We can help with that,'" said Ratchford.

He was in touch with Sarah Scott on Thursday to give her the good news. He told her he'd print the album and she shouldn't worry about paying him until insurance comes through.

'Everything is here'

Sarah Scott says the knowledge that her wedding photos still exist is one bright spot in an otherwise very traumatic experience.

The Scotts were among the Fort Mac evacuees who drove through a wall of flames to reach safety. They had no time to grab anything but the essentials before fleeing their home.

She says the pictures of their wedding day were a constant reminder of home.

"It's expensive to go home, so we're lucky if we can get home once a year, so those pictures mean a lot to us," she said.

"My husband's grandmother is of an age that any pictures of her, of course, are absolutely precious, as well as anybody else in them."

Hang some happy memories

Scott says it will mean a lot to be able to "hang some happy, smiling memories on our new walls when we have another home."

Ratchford says the comments on his Facebook post suggest that people are looking to recover for more than wedding albums.

"People had family pictures done, pictures of their grandkids, pictures of their parents, anything like that. Everything is here."

Ratchford says he's already been in touch with the processing, printing and album companies he deals with, and all have said they want to help.

Any cost involved, he says, would be only to cover expenses.