It’s not the homecoming Anne Tolmie ever thought she’d have, but she’s back on her property after a long haul that started with a lengthy hospital stay in February as she battled pneumonia.
“You’d have to be completely crazy to do this,” Tolmie said last week as she sifted through the wreckage of her ransacked home in the Blenkinsop Valley.
While in hospital, Tolmie’s home was broken into six times, with thieves making off with furniture and personal belongings, even family pictures.
Tuesday, though, was a silver lining for the Saanich senior. She was released from hospital and arrived home to her “new” home.
A GoFundMe campaign started by neighbours netted $10,000, which was enough to purchase a trailer that will serve as Tolmie’s temporary home.
The 78-year-old is grateful for the public’s help, and after her lengthy hospital stay, she got a taste of the retirement life she didn’t want.
“The nursing homes they would have liked me to move into,” she says. “It’s wonderful to be here on my own property.”
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Tolmie says she’ll continue the cleanup of her home at her own pace while the investigation continues.
Saanich police confirm that a member has been assigned to work with and support Tolmie during its investigation.
Neighbours Nathalie and Dave Chambers run a farm stand next door to Tolmie’s property, and they started the GoFundMe campaign.
“We’ve been neighbours for twenty years, and these driveways are long, and they don’t necessarily make it easy to have a community here,” says Nathalie.
The Chambers hooked up utilities to the trailer this morning. The space is blank but bright, perfect for Tolmie.
“I absolutely love it. There’s no place like home, sweet trailer,” she laughs.
Being a trailer, Tolmie is just a truck and a trailer hitch away from the open road, but she’s staying put.
“I don’t think I’m going to tow it anywhere,” she says with a smile.
She’s just happy to be home.
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Jordan Cunningham
