Skip to content

Fundraiser to help out-of-work Skyline Truck Stop employees

A fundraising effort is underway to help employees of the Skyline Truck Stop through difficult times ahead
58245salmonarmEVNskylinefire41102col
The Skyline Truck Stop burned to the ground on Nov. 2. The fire appears to have been started by a space heater in a second floor office.

A fundraising effort is underway to help employees of the Skyline Truck Stop through difficult times ahead.

As unstoppable flames made their way through the popular Craigellachie business during a Nov. 2 fire, Trinity Kendrick says she and fellow Skyline employees stood on the outskirts, watching, while going through a mix of emotions.

“We all stood in the parking lot and cried – laughed and cried at all the memories. It’s really sad,” said Kendrick.

The staff at the Skyline, Kendrick says, were like family. It was a place where lifelong friendships were born, a place where the community gathered and a refuge for many travellers.

“We had co-workers that had been there for more than 20 years, a husband and wife couple there for 20 years, and single moms and that was their only income,” said Kendrick.

Following the fire, the Skyline’s longtime owners Lyall and Charlene Hainstock were finishing their last payroll for the foreseeable future.

“They really are awesome bosses, they care about their employees,” said Kendrick. “They’re more worried about us at this point which is, I mean, it’s got to be so hard for them, you know, they sunk their livelihoods into it.”

Between that paycheque and the anticipated long wait for employment insurance benefits to kick in, Kendrick saw a need to support her coworkers. She has since started a GoFundMe fundraising account to do just that (https://www.gofundme.com/cn8jub3s).

Kendrick noted there aren’t any similar employment options nearby.

After the fire, Kendrick says a trauma counsellor was brought in to help the Skyline staff – the impact of the fire being much greater than a burnt building.

“It was big memories for a lot of people; that was where everybody went. People drove from Sicamous to come and have dinner, lunch or coffee,” said Kendrick. “And you know, the truckers on the road, (it was) the only place that’s not fast food for them to actually get a decent meal, between Vancouver and Calgary really.”

 



Lachlan Labere

About the Author: Lachlan Labere

Editor of the Salmon Arm Observer, Shuswap Market, and Eagle Valley News. I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to keep our readers informed and engaged.
Read more