Kitchener man hopes benches along street will help neighbours connect after house explosion

A Kitchener man is raising money to buy park benches to place along his street as a way to build community after a house explosion rocked his neighbourhood.

Brock Greenhalgh lives across the street from 56 Sprucedale Cres., which exploded just after 8 a.m. on Aug. 22. He had just left for work when his 17-year-old son called to tell him what had happened.

"The house was gone. It had collapsed in on itself," he said.

The explosion levelled the house and damaged three others around it. Two people were found in the backyard. Edra Haan, 58, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have ruled her death a homicide.

Her husband Udo Haan, 58, was seriously injured and remains in hospital.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

Neighbours helping neighbours

The families who lived next door to56Sprucedale are not expected to return to their homes for a while, but others along the street were back in their homes on the weekend.

City officials are asking people not to go to the street to have a look at the site of the explosion, in order to allow residents to return to their regular routines.

Greenhalghalso wants to help his neighbours get back some of what they lost during the explosion, andstarted the campaign to buy benches on Saturday. As of Wednesday, it had already raised more than $2,000 of a $5,000 goal.

He said in the moments after the explosion, what stood out to him was how quickly neighbours came together to help. They all stood together as paramedics, fire crews and police took over their street and responded to the tragedy.

'I can't stay angry'

But when he woke up Friday morning, Greenhalghsaid he "was angry and I thought, I can't stay angry."

He decided he would buy benches and offer them to his neighbours, for them to put in their front yards.

The inspiration for the project comes from his wife, who built benches to place along BalzerCreek along with her Grade 3 students.

He said having the benches placed along the street would give neighbours a chance to heal.

"We want people to come, walk in their neighbourhood, meet with their neighbours, sit and talk," he said. "When I think of a bench, it's an invitation."

City to help with project

Joshua Joseph is a supervisor with Kitchener's neighbourhood development office and said this is the kind of citizen-led project the city wants to help make happen.

There was another similar project in the Central Frederick neighbourhood in Kitchener where benches were put along a residential street, he said.

"I definitely think it's achievable to do," he said. "We just hope to be a support in the sense of being a listening ear, helping them along the way."

He said the GoFundMe campaign shows the strength and caring nature of the neighbourhood.

"It's a sense of belonging," Joseph said. "When people come together and support each other and connect with each other, it really does help to build a resilient and strong community."

Greenhalghhas gone door-to-door to let neighbours know about the project. He hopes to start putting some benches in place next week.