'It saved days and days of work': Hay River hockey players praised for helping flood victims

WhenMitchell Touesnardreturned to his flooded home inHay River, N.W.T., he discovered a damaged basement that was going to turn into a bigcleanup job.

But witha supportive community like Hay River, the only tools he needed to get the job doneweresomeRusty Blades.

TheHay River Rusty BladesOld Timers Hockey club stepped up to helpvictims whose homes were affected when the town of almost 4,000 people were ordered to evacuate in the middle of the night earlier this month.

"It saved days and days of work," Touesnard said of the help the hockey players provided.

"They were absolutely amazing."

Members of the Rusty Blades were on Cranberry Crescent, going home-to-homeshortly after the community could return. While there, theytoreup floors, drywall and airedout the water damage.

Jeff Boyce is the president of the Rusty Blades, and one of those helping the community.

He told Loren McGinnis, host of CBC'sThe Trailbreaker, that the mission started as a way to help members of the league whose homes were affected, butexpanded into helping the wider community.

A mass email to the league produced about 18 players one third of the league on the very first day.

The team includes a plumber, a carpenter and some engineers.

"We know all these people, they all live in our community," Boyce said.

"We just kind of made a plan to do what we could do."

Touesnard lived in Halifax when Hurricane Juan hit in 2003. Thatmassive storm left widespread damage and required a community effort to repair. But he said the way Hay River came together after the flooding outdid that response.

Dressing room seven

Boycesaid although it was difficult to see his community so damaged, he and his fellow league members enjoyed the opportunity to spend some time together.

"We had quiet a few laughs, quiet a few giggles, had a couple cocktails after work," he said.

Looking back at a favourite memory from the experience, Boyce saidthe first house they worked on had a wood stove in the garage. Later in the week, that garagebecame an impromptu hangout area for the hockey-players-turned-demolishers.

The garagebecame known as dressing room seven, a reference to the fact the team usesdressing rooms five and six at theHay River arena.

Boyce said some of the flood victims had no idea where to begin but were in luck when the Rusty Blades showed up.

"Some of the homeowners, quite literally, were, 'I don't know what to do here,' and I guess we kind of walked them through it."