You never think you’re going to respond to your own home’: Volunteers help with disaster relief in Peterborough
Team Rubicon Canada, a veteran-led humanitarian organization comprised of veterans, first responders and civilians, has been deployed to Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes.
Fenelon Falls native Sydney Gerzymisch, a volunteer with Team Rubicon Canada, helps with disaster relief in the area following a weekend ice storm in the region.
Sydney Gerzymisch says it is unreal to be in her own stomping grounds doing disaster response with Team Rubicon Canada.
Team Rubicon Canada, a veteran-led humanitarian organization comprised of veterans, first responders and civilians, has been deployed to Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes to assist with disaster relief efforts following the ice storm over the weekend.
A state of emergency has been declared for much of the surrounding areas, which are still without hydro and dealing with downed power lines and trees.
Gerzymisch was at Team Rubicon Canada training camp in Brantford on the weekend when she received word that her services would be needed.
She was thrilled to be able to help knowing her own family and friends would be impacted. Gerzymisch, 25, lives in Fenelon Falls, goes to school in Peterborough and was raised in Lindsay.
“We actually responded to my own personal home the other day to unwrap my family because we have one exit and we’re on a dead-end road that was completely blocked by downed trees,” she said.
“You never think you’re going to respond to your own home or family, so that is incredibility special and rewarding.”
Gerzymisch says the teams are seeing a lot of tree damage that are still causing road and sidewalk obstruction.
“A lot of people are nervous about the tree situation because some of them are pretty precarious and dangerous,” she added.
Gerzymisch says she joined Team Rubicon Canada three years ago as a civilian member after Hurricane Fiona hit near Whitehead, N.S. in 2022.
“I had been in the area and saw the devastation. I really wanted to find a way to help out,” she said. “I’ve been hooked ever since.”
She says learning from ex-military and first responders has been invaluable.
“To learn their knowledge of how being cool under pressure and to have them as a sounding board is really important,” she said.
“They’re really great people. They just really want to help and do whatever they can to meet those unmet needs in the community.”
Joel Johnson, Team Rubicon Canadas’ director of brand and communications, says teams will be in the area for the next several days to a week.
“As part of recovery, we have sawyer teams and they are chainsaw experts,” he said.
“Right now with Peterborough having downed trees that have hydro wires on them, we have the training for them to come in and do removal and that will allow people to get out of their homes.”
Currently, he says they have 15 “Greyshirts” (volunteers) working in Peterborough until Sunday, and there has been more than 100 requests for assistance in Peterborough.
“Team Rubicon Canada is really built not only to provide the disaster relief component, but to provide a sense of community, a sense of identity and a sense of purpose,” he said.
