Two local companies are doing their part, to make Christmas a little merrier for striking forestry workers and their families.
Tippin Point Contracting Ltd. and Kram Industries Ltd. are collecting new or gently used toy donations for the Loonies for Loggers Christmas Hampers.
The companies are providing cargo trailer transportation for the toys that will go to logging families across Vancouver Island.
Donations will be accepted until tomorrow.
Tippin Point co-owner Tara Rennison said it’s a gentle deadline.
“We’re hoping to get the toys to Loonies for Loggers on the 11th so they have a chance to go through them and put them into the hampers and then we’ll be doing runs with them mid-December down to all the different communities,” she said.
Nearly 3,000 employees and contracted workers with Western Forest Products at six Vancouver Island manufacturing plants and timberland across the coast have been on strike since July 1.
Talks broke off in November.
As the strike drags into the winter, families have been struggling to pay their bills and are losing their homes.
To help fill the toy trailer, call or text Tippin Point Contracting at 250-702.3466, email [email protected], or contact the company through its Facebook page.
“We can make arrangements to pick up,” Rennison said.
Rennison said a wide range of toys in ‘giftable condition’ is needed.
“I’m sure there’s a wide range of kids with our loggers, and I’m sure there’s everything from babies to teenagers,” she said. “Whatever anybody feels like donating. Every little bit helps.”
Rennison said she and her husband know, first-hand, what the striking workers are going through.
“My husband is a fourth-generation logger and we started our family with the logging industry,” she said.
“A few years ago we were able to start our business up which pulled us out of the logging industry. And we know what it’s like to be there, we went through the last strike that happened and it sent us to Alberta, so that we didn’t lose our house, and so we understand what these families are going through. We have friends in the logging industry, we have family members in the logging industry and so we just wanted to do what we could to help out and make sure they still have a good Christmas.”
It takes a community to make everything go around, Rennison said: “We have a really great community here. We’ve had a lot of businesses donate, we’ve had a lot of personal families donate. If you’re available to donate, let’s help out the people that need our help this time of year.”
For more information on other ways to support the families, visit looniesforloggers.com.
