12
2016-2017 Annual Report
Last January, in the heart of the ice
storm, which left thousands of homes in
the Acadian Peninsula without power,
the Université de Moncton, Shippagan
campus, transformed into a community
warming and shelter centre for six days.
Faced with the scale of the disaster, the
Shippagan campus responded quickly
to implement a tremendous mutual aid
operation, not only for its students, but
for the entire community.
Thanks to the dedication and great
generosity of staff, faculty and students
(all of whom were themselves affected),
the campus became a gathering place
for people to stay, warm up, receive
meals and access the Internet, in short,
to find comfort in these trying times.
Many volunteers from the community
also mobilized to offer their help and
ensure the smooth operation of the
shelter.
After about thirty hours in the cold and
without electricity, Nathalie Blaquière
and her three-year-old daughter,
Raphaëlle, took shelter at the Shippagan
campus for a few nights in what she
describes as “an oasis in the middle
of an apocalyptic environment.”
S
urge of mutual aid at
the Shippagan campus
Nathalie Blaquière
Feature
Shippagan ice storm
