Donations being collected for family whose daughter died in fire

The community is rallying around a family coping with unbearable loss after a fire in their camping trailer on Monday.

Marshall Howick, Norma White-Howick, and four of their children escaped the overnight fire, which engulfed their trailer parked in the laneway of a home on Mississauga Road on Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

But their 10-year-old daughter, Ava, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Another child, a 15-year-old boy, remains in a Hamilton hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. The other children are a 14-year-old girl, a 12-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl.

“We’re all coping as well as we can,” said Bonnie Howick-Childs, who is Marshall’s aunt. “The parents are focused on their son in the hospital and not able to concentrate on anything else yet.

“We are thankful for all the people who are helping. We have been overwhelmed with kindness and we appreciate everything.”

Howick-Childs set up an account for her nephew and his family at the Bank of Montreal in Simcoe. Anyone who wants to make a monetary donation to help with Ava’s funeral costs, housing for the family, and other expenses, can message Howick-Childs on Facebook at facebook.com/bonnie.howickchilds. She is willing to pick up donations from those uncomfortable with e-transfer.

“They lost everything, all their bank cards and IDs,” she said. “They have absolutely nothing except the donations they’re getting now.”

The family is temporarily living with relatives but will soon need to find their own housing. Most needed immediately are new beds and toiletries. Howick-Childs said donations of clothing for the children has been coming in by the bagful and is still being sorted.

She said donations of dishes, furniture and other household items have been offered but arrangements need to be made for storage.

Emergency crews were called out at about 2 am on Monday where firefighters found a fully involved fire affecting multiple trailers on the Mississauga Road property. During a search of the trailer, firefighters found the young victim.

Howick-Childs said Ava was a happy, gregarious child who loved being outside more than watching TV or playing on her iPad.

“She loved to be outside running around. She wasn’t shy. She just loved life.”

The office of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation also has established an account for financial donations. Electronic fund transfers are being accepted at

[email protected]

. Indicate “Donation for family” in the message if a receipt is required. Cash donations can be taken to the administration building at 2789 Mississauaga Rd., Building 1, in Hagersville. All donations will go the family.

A statement has been issued by Stacey Laforme, elected chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and chief operating officer Kerri King.

“We are all connected. We are all feeling the pain of this tragedy. It was important to light the fire on Monday to provide a safe space for our members to come together to heal and to show our love and support to the family.”

Sacred fires were lit for grieving community members in two locations.

“We want to say miigwech (thank you) to everyone who has taken the time to reach out and offer their support to the family and to our First Nation. We wish to acknowledge the support services of the Six Nations of the Grand River Tragic Events Response Team, as well as those of the Halidmand Norfolk Mississaugas of the Credit Victim Services.”

Sean Driscoll, a spokesperson for the Office of the Fire Marshal, said investigation into the “cause, origin and circumstance” of the fire is still ongoing.

Driscoll confirmed that the Office of the Fire Marshal conducted a fire investigation into a double fatal fire at a home in the same location on Mississauga Road in January 2012. An Ohsweken man was convicted of murder in connection with the deaths.