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April Hein was at work when she got word of the fire that broke out last week in Bridgewater. Not long after, she found out that her former co-worker Amitoj Kaur had died in the blaze.
“Right away we knew it was Ami’s building,” Hein told the CBC during an interview last week.
“We just all kind of waited for the news. And then we got a call saying that ‘we can’t find her.’ Like, she’s not answering her phone, she’s not at her other job and she’s just not responding. So then we knew.”
Hein says that she and Kaur worked together at A&W for about four months before Kaur moved on to a different job at Inside Out Cleaning Services.
“She was so sweet, like, she was very nice, always showed up for work, you know, she was just friendly,” said Hein.
She says that she and those that knew Kaur are still trying to process the news. She says she wants to believe that Kaur didn’t suffer.
The fire was reported at 11:45 am on June 10 after a patrol officer noticed smoke in the downtown area. Firefighters were on the scene within minutes.
It was declared extinguished late Wednesday night, according to Bridgewater Police. At least 10 people lost their homes.
The community launched a donation drive over the weekend to help those who were displaced by the fire.
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Following a fire that left one person dead and many displaced, Bridgewater is collecting essential items for the victims. Giuliiana Grillo reports.
Someone close to Kaur has launched an online fundraiser that says it will use the funds to cover the costs associated with returning Kaur’s body to her family in India, legal documentation, and funeral expenses.
According to the fundraising page, Amitoj Kaur was 24 years old when she died. Kaur moved to Nova Scotia from India in 2020 as a student, according to the post.
It also says that Kaur’s father is sick and that she was financially supporting her family back home.
In a Facebook post following the fire, the South Shore Multicultural Association wrote “Our hearts are heavy as we remember Amitoj Kaur. A lovely young woman whose life was tragically cut short by the recent fire in Bridgewater.”
The Bridgewater Police Service has not yet confirmed Kaur’s identity. Town spokesperson Bronwyn MacFair said on June 16 that the medical examiner’s investigation into Kaur’s death is ongoing.
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