Harvey hits close to home
Weaver grew up in Houston and fears for close friends
Kaitlyn Weaver’s childhood home has been destroyed by tropical storm Harvey.
But the ice dancer who grew up in Houston before becoming a Canadian citizen in 2009 prefers to think of the positive stories of human generosity that have emerged from the devastation in Texas.
“What is incredible to me is, what has surfaced out of this tragic environment is the kindness and compassion of human beings, in a time that’s so terrible,” Weaver said Wednesday at Skate Canada’s high-performance camp at Mississauga’s Hershey Centre. “There are civilians rescuing people on their jet skis . . . it’s amazing to see that, in a troubled time the world is in right now, there are good people in the world willing to go out on the line and save their fellow neighbours, no matter race, religion, or anything else.”
The 28-year-old grew up in Briarforest, a Houston neighbourhood that’s now under several feet of water. Her family no longer lives there, and Weaver said her dad’s home in Houston is dry and undamaged, though flood waters have come within about a mile of his house.
“Thankfully my family is all safe, but I’ve had many close friends evacuated and losing their houses as we speak,” Weaver said. “It’s tragic. I watched it on TV and it broke my heart to see my familiar places where I grew up just totally demolished.
“It happens. It’s nature, and people are doing the best they can, and it’s incredible to see the help that’s come out.”
Weaver moved to Canada to compete with partner Andrew Poje, and they have won medals at two world championships.