'Everybody’s pulling together': Community reels following death of 10-year-old girl near Brantford
A community is in mourning after a 10-year-old girl was killed earlier this week when flames tore through her family’s camping trailer southeast of Brantford.
The family says they have been overwhelmed by the kindness people have been showing since that tragic day. They are now working to support the rest of the surviving family members as they mourn the loss of 10-year-old Ava Howick.
"I was just basically numb, devastated," said Ava’s great aunt Bonnie Childs.
Flames ripped through a camping trailer in Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation just before 2 a.m. Monday.
Marshall Howick, Norma White-Howick, and four of their children were able to escape, but their daughter Ava didn’t make it out.
"I got a message from my sister-in-law through Facebook so that’s how I found out," said Childs.
Police say Ava was located inside the trailer and pronounced dead at the scene. Her 15-year-old brother remains in hospital.
For Childs, she received the heartbreaking news on her way home from a vacation.
"It was so much and I was so far away," she said. "I couldn’t do anything. I wanted to be home right then [and] I was told about Ava.”
Childs says Ava was a happy child full of life and determination.
"She was an energetic little thing," she said. "She liked to be outside, all of those kids loved to be outside. If they could find the woods to play in, that’s where they would be playing."
Ava Howick, 10, is seen in this undated photo. (Facebook - Bonnie M Howick-Childs)
It is still not clear how this fire began and officials say it could take some time to find answers.
A spokesperson for the Ontario Fire Marshal told CTV News in part, "the investigation into the fire remains ongoing and no cause of fire has been determined at this time."
As the family reels from the loss, they face the reality of funeral costs and finding a new place to live.
Childs says the community has come together to help raise funds and gathering donations.
"Just a lot of people reaching out and sending donations," she said. "Yesterday, my one niece had delivered a whole truck load of toys and clothing."
A statement was also issued by Chief Stacey Laforme of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation saying in part, "we are all connected, we are all feeling the pain of this tragedy."
They’re also collecting financial donations for the family and say, when the time if right, they will collect clothing and other household items.
"Everybody’s pulling together," said Childs. "Cousins, my cousins, my neighbors, everybody’s pulling together and reaching out."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Police investigating shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Stormy Daniels is expected to appear at Trump's hush money trial on Tuesday
Donald Trump returns to the hush money trial Tuesday facing a threat of jail time for additional gag order violations as prosecutors gear up to summon big-name witnesses including porn actor Stormy Daniels.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.