One woman is proudly rebuilding her home from the ground up after the deadly Richmond Hill explosion.
Vicky Koerner is committed to her community and nothing will shake the foundation of her new home.
“I’m not letting that tragedy or that circumstance define my life,” Koerner said. “You can either mull around in it and say woe is me, or you know, you can pull up your straps and say we’re moving forward.”
Koerner chose to move forward and her enthusiasm with her new house was contagious.
Her new doors will open to a new home and a new beginning.
“I feel very blessed, very thankful because there could have been a lot more people perished,” she said.
Other neighbors moved away after the explosion, but Koerner said the good she witnessed on that evil night was the foundation for her decision to stay and start again.
She believes a new house represents a new beginning and a place where old can become new again.
“The old house had a ping pong table set up and the kids from the neighborhood would come over and knock on the door, head to the basement, play their game and take off. Next night they came back and they had an ongoing tournament for weeks and weeks, so we’ll start the tradition again,” Koerner said.
Koerner said she hopes the house will be finished by July and a housewarming party was already being planned.
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