Betty Dyck said it was terrifying to go through the experience of watching the fire fighters battle the blaze on Royal Crescent Christmas Day.
She and her daughter Becky, who was visiting for the holiday, had just settled in for the night.
"I went back to my bed, laid down, I put my sleep apnea machine on, the mask that's over my nose. I was just ready to fall asleep. All of a sudden, I heard 'pop' and Becky yelling, 'Mom I smell fire.' and I said, 'What?' I took my nosepiece off and sure enough, I smelled fire too. I grabbed my pair of pants and put them on and said, 'Grab whatever you can and let's get out of here.'"
Next, she called for help.
"I went back to the bedroom, got my phone and called 911, told me that there's a fire at 233 Royal Crescent. I grabbed my jacket, my shoes, my purse and I ran out with her. As we opened the door, it was just a thick cloud of smoke that we walked into. During that time, we were getting ready, we were hearing something like a popcorn machine going. The breakers were just popping left and right, and we were just scared, so we just got out of there."
Once they got out, reality hit home.
"As we were going down the stairs, she (Becky) broke down and I really appreciate the gentleman that came and helped her walk over the ice and stuff. Thank you for that. So, we went to the street, and I called my youngest daughter, and I told her that my apartment was on fire."
Smoke was just coming out of the complex, according to Dyck.
"So, we're standing up there watching. Seeing that, it was terrifying. For the first time, experiencing something like this, I don't wish it on my worst enemy."
Her concern at the time was mostly for her daughter who has mental health challenges. Her instincts were to care for her. They were able to stay at her youngest daughter's house for the first night and she has stayed there since.
Since the fire, the Red Cross did pay for a couple nights in a hotel and gave her a credit card to get some essentials for the first few days, but Dyck was not insured.
She had just moved into her new home on November 15th and hadn't gotten insurance yet.
Although she has lost almost everything, she is grateful for her and her daughter's life, and that Becky was there with her, and that God was with them to help them.
"Right now, I'm trying to find a place to live. I mean, the prices out there..." her voice trailed off. "It's nasty. I mean, there is very minimal, affordable (housing) for people who are on disability, who have illnesses, who are disabled to work. I had a triple bypass done in 2019 and since then my body's been shutting down more and more. But I keep pushing. I'm not giving up. I found out that I had diabetes now and it's like, OK, that's another thing. So. It's been tough."
Dyck will spend the coming days going through her things trying to salvage items like clothing and Christmas presents she had for her grandchildren to see if there is anything left. She is grateful for the support she has received so far from the community.
Dyck's youngest daughter Jess Loewen has started up a GofundMe page "Replace necessities" for her, for people who want to support Dyck in her efforts to start over.