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The Fire, part 3 – Down but not out!
Then to practicalities...we needed coffee and we needed somewhere to roast!!! While we were down, JJ Bean, House of Coffee (www.jjbeancoffee.com) in Vancouver stepped in to keep us fuelled with their wonderful roasts. Pete Boeda of Cowboy Coffee (www.cowboycoffee.ca), also based in Vancouver, called immediately to donate the use of a beautiful Probat L5 they weren't currently using. Such amazing acts of generosity and kindness from my "other family", the coffee roasting community. If you think all business is cutthroat, look to the specialty coffee community for a refreshing view of what can happen when we work together. It continually makes me proud to be a part of it. After searching for a suitable existing warehouse to work out of, and coming up empty handed, the plan for "the Roasting Shack" was formed. While my Mom kept the home fires burning, my Dad was able to come up and head up the building project. Dean Smith, a friend, plumber and father to 3 of my long time staff and roasters, drew up the building plan and gave me hope that we just might be able to pull this off! Many thanks to Lyle and John MacDougall and the team at the City of Whitehorse for expediting our permit. We got lucky with the weather, and it warmed up enough to clear the ice from the old deck, which luckily escaped the fire's clutches. Friends showed up with tools in hand, worked through the cold days, and like an old fashioned barn-raising, the "Roaster Shack" was up and running 1 month after the fire. I feel so blessed to have such wonderful family, friends and community. They made all the difference in the world to help us keep in business after the loss.
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