Paper Excellence Canada was among the members of the Nova Scotia business community that stepped up with help when an unprecedented wildfire upended lives and devasted a large swath of the southwestern part of the province.

Wildfires continue to become a more regular fact of life in regions where Paper Excellence Canada sources its wood fibre, and a sometimes devastating reality for the communities within them. The 2003 Barrington Lake Wildfire in Shelburne County was the largest in Nova Scotia’s history, and its destructive impact extended across 23,000 hectares.

Paper Excellence contributed $200,000 to the recovery effort – part of which went to the Red Cross and the rest to directly impacted families and a local “We Rise Again” fund. This catalyzed federal and provincial matching funds for a total amount of $250,000.

Local lumber and hardware companies also stepped up with in-kind support, and in October everyone was on hand for a community event to acknowledge and celebrate this joint effort to help impacted residents get back on their feet.

Hear further perspective on this story from a local municipal leader.