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Rock Creek fire victims aided by Abbotsford benefit concert

Rock Creek fire victims aided by Abbotsford benefit concert

Some classical musicians will perform tonight in Abbotsford, B.C., to raise money for victims of the Rock Creek wildfire, which destroyed 30 homes and 15 other buildings earlier this month.

Calvin Dyck, a violinist with the West Coast String Quartet and the concert organizer, said he has heard from relatives and colleagues who live in the area about how the fire has devastated their community.

"My cousin explained many people in Rock Creek can't afford fire insurance. The boundary area rates are about three times what you'd pay here on the coast, so there's a great need to help people up there."

The residents are also unlikely to be eligible for provincial disaster assistance because it does not normally cover insurable losses.

The rebuild process will be a lengthy one, especially because some residents who lost their homes will have to rebuild from scratch, he said.

"The fire was so hot in some cases that the foundations were cracked and are unusable."

Partnering with Habitat for Humanity

Dyck said all proceeds from the concert will go to the Grand Forks office of Habitat for Humanity. Their plan is to help the community of Rock Creek rebuild, first by constructing a house in Greenwood over the next two weeks.

"Normally it takes about a year to get a site and organize a rebuild. In this case, Habitat has obtained a former marijuana grow-op that they can refurbish and provide to one family."

Dyck said the donations will go farther with Habitat for Humanity because they work with volunteers and have access to prefabricated walls, allowing them to finish a house more quickly.

"This is a simpler house, perhaps, but the idea would be to provide housing for people who don't otherwise have access to it."

The concert will feature chamber music composed by Mozart, Schumann, Bach and Shostakovich. It begins at 7 p.m. PT at Bakerview Church on Clearbrook Road in Abbotsford.

To hear the full interview with Calvin Dyck, listen to the audio labelled: Rock Creek fire benefit concert in Abbotsford.