A St. Vital family is sifting through the rubble after fire destroyed their garage and the Christmas gifts inside.
"That's the hardest piece because Christmas is for children and the children don't know,” said Robyn Burnet. “So, we'll put a brave face forward, and it's not about the presents. It's really not. So it'll be OK."
Burnet and her husband, Kevin Kowal, spent all their Christmas money buying the gifts on Black Friday. They have two children, age 10 and six.
They stored them in their Greenwood Avenue garage, away from their kids. Fire destroyed most of what they bought Friday morning around 6 a.m.
The garage wasn't insured because the family says they couldn't make the payments. Their home insurance, which also covered the garage, had expired two days before the fire.
A newspaper delivery man alerted the family to the fire and they were able to move their cars out of the blaze's path.
Investigators say the fire was caused by an electrical problem. Damage is estimated at $80,000.
- with a report from Alesia Fieldberg
