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Destruction and desperation in Nepal Chilliwack hikers’ trip to Nepal turns into humanitarian mission Jessica Peters The Progress
Jennifer Feinberg The Progress
Villagers take shelter from the rain beneath tarps following Saturday’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Nepal. Chilliwack residents Shaun Monty, Robertson Mackenzie and Ashleigh Brooks were hiking in the region when the earthquake struck. SUBMITTED/ SPECIAL TO THE PROGRESS
tarian aid mission, working alongside fellow Canadian backpackers, and like-minded travelers from Australia and the United States. Two in the group are also from Chilliwack, Robertson Mackenzie and Ashleigh Brooks. “We are all healthy and safe,” Monty says. “During the quake there was a lot of screaming and crying in the streets. People were in shock just sitting in the
road. But the traveling community, despite being from across the globe, is a surprisingly close bunch and everyone immediately was helping each other. Whether it was giving water to those in shock, or simply a comforting hug (Nepali or not).” But they’ve also gathered together to create a fundraiser that will direct money to those in desperate need of shelter. By Tuesday
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morning, officials announced that at least 4,000 were killed in the earthquake — a number that’s expected to climb as rescuers sort through the rubble of collapsed buildings. But the general state of destruction throughout the country means that millions of Nepalese have been displaced. The timing is tragic. In less than one month, the monsoon rains Continued: TRIO/ p4
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A group of tenants at the Chilliwack Airport say they are being unfairly vilified in the wake of complaints they made about noisy practice flights of pilot Super Dave Mathieson. Mathieson, a professional air show performer, was grounded earlier this month from practising his aerobatic manoeuvres below 2,000 feet, after notification from Transport Canada restricting his practice runs over “noise sensitive” areas. A huge groundswell of support for Super Dave erupted online over the past week since The Chilliwack Progress story broke, with many supporters urging Transport Canada to reverse the decision to ground him. Fans of Super Dave also organized a last minute support rally at the Chilliwack airport on Sunday afternoon which drew about 50 people, and an online petition supporting the pilot has garnered more than 2,200 signatures. Over the weekend scanned versions of complaint letters to Transport Canada from 17 local businesses and individuals were posted online, without their permission. It is not known who released the letters, originally sent to Transport Canada, and shared with City of Chilliwack, and Magnum Management, which runs the airport through an operation agreement. The letter-writers say as result of the documents being posted publicly, they have faced threats of boycotts, legal action, angry denunciations, Continued: BACKLASH/ p6
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Even when Shaun Monty finds a moment to rest, the chaos around him doesn’t stop. “When you lay down, your heartbeat even feels like an earthquake tremor,” he says. The aftershocks from Saturday’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Nepal have kept entire cities and villages on edge, shaking the ground and nerves alike at a rate of about one per hour. And those aftershocks are registering as fives and sixes on the Richter scale. Shaun Monty “Mental tensions have definitely increased as a result of the quake as well,” Monty says. “Over the past two days, there have been over 100 aftershocks felt here. With a frequency like that, you kind of always feel dizzy and on edge.” Monty is in Pokhara, a large city of about a quarter million people, about 80 km from the epicentre of the big quake. It’s a mecca for tourists, seeing hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Many of them are backpackers, climbers and hikers like Monty, who have been drawn to the bountiful beauty of Nepal and, of course, Mount Everest. Monty, an avid hiker from Chilliwack, arrived in Pokhara on April 21 after making a trek to the Everest Base Camp. He attempted the 3 Passes circuit, and was turned away from two of the three passes due to bad weather. He wasn’t there to summit the mountain, he says, but to experience a thrilling climb. Now, that trip of a lifetime has turned into an impromptu humani-
Airport tenants say critics unfair