‘You can't thank somebody enough for saving your life'

Sackville woman seeking Hants County men who rescued her from a burning home in 1968

Paula Smith has no recollection of the day she was rescued.

All she knows is she’s thankful for the men who risked their lives to save hers as flames engulfed her parents’ Hants County home.

That heroic rescue happened nearly 52 years ago, but it’s never far from her mind.

Smith, now 54, lives in Sackville, N.S. She’s never had the opportunity to thank Terry Manning and Graham Greenough, who were credited with saving her life so many years ago, in person.

But she wants to.

“I’m very thankful for sure,” said Smith. “I wouldn’t be here today and who knows what would have happened with my parents. I’m sure that they would have continued on like they have but you can’t thank somebody enough for saving your life.”

In the Sept. 24, 1969 edition of The Hants Journal, readers learned more about the heroic efforts that went into saving the two-year-old on that fateful winter day.

It was reported that a fire broke out at Mary and Doug Carver’s home in Woodville in February 1968.

Her father, an acetylene burner at the shipyard, was at work when the fire broke out.

The devastating electrical fire destroyed the Carver family home and with it, claimed the lives of three of their six children. Manning and Greenough were the first to arrive on scene and rushed into the burning building. Greenough attempted to access the upstairs bedroom where some of the children were located, but was overcome by smoke and later had to be treated at the hospital. Manning located Smith in her crib and carried her outside to safety. Her two older brothers escaped the blaze with their mother.

Smith’s two older sisters and infant brother, who was just 10 months old, died in the fire.

“Our family was fortunate,” said Smith. “We lost three family members, but the rest of us... all got out safely and didn’t have any burns or anything like that. So, we’re very thankful for that for sure.”

The Journal noted that Greenough, a resident of Woodville who had been active in 4-H leadership for many years, was presented with the bronze medal for bravery issued by the Royal Canadian Humane Association during a September 1969 presentation of 4-H awards. Manning, who was unable to attend the presentation, also received the medal. At the time, they were the only Nova Scotian recipients of the bronze medal for bravery award.

Charles Illsley, of Halifax, who presented the medal, noted that the medals were only awarded when “the recipient has shown extraordinary disregard for personal safety in saving, or attempting to save, the life of another.”

In reflecting on the incident, Smith said she would like to thank the men personally for the role they played that fateful day but she’s not sure how to contact them.

For a few years, Smith was in contact with Manning, sending him Christmas cards and updating him on how she was doing. But over the years, they fell out of touch and she lost track of his whereabouts. Smith said the last time she wrote, Manning was living near New Glasgow. As for Greenough, she hasn’t corresponded with him, or met him since 1969.

“I think it’s always a nice thing to remember those who rescued you,” she said.

LIFE GOES ON

Following the fire, the Carver family moved to Dartmouth to live with Smith’s grandmother. Then, they rented a home in Hammonds Plains and when she was eight, her father built a home next door to it, which is where her mother still lives. Her father is now in a nursing home.

Her parents went on to have two more daughters.

“My parents were very strong people, so they’ve actually done quite well to move on and raise a few more kids,” she said.

Smith said one lesson that all of the children were taught was that they must carry on.

And all of them have.

Smith went to university and took a couple different degrees. While in school, she landed a job at the Victoria General Hospital in Halifax as a unit clerk and has worked there for the past 32 years.

“I ended up staying there because I liked it and I was raising kids of my own by that point. I worked parttime and then eventually went to full-time,” she said. “Right now, I work on a cancer unit at the VG.”

Smith is married and has two daughters and two grandchildren, which she dotes on.

Paula Smith was just two years old when a deadly fire ravaged her parents’ homestead in Woodville. She was surprised to see her photo appear in the Valley Journal-Advertiser’s Hants History column recently. She’s hoping to reconnect with the men who helped save her life.

CAROLE MORRIS-UNDERHILL

Her oldest brother, Larry, just retired from the dockyards at the age of 60. Her other brother, Brian, is 55 and manages a sheet metal shop in Burnside.

Her sister, Lisa, 49, works at the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission and her youngest sister, Tina, works at a call centre.

“We’ve actually all done quite well. And we’re a very close family; always there to help each other,” she said, noting they all live within driving distance.

Smith said people still bring up the tragedy from time to time and she hopes by sharing her story, people will see that life does go on.

“I think that they’ll probably wonder all their life — whatever happened to that little girl or the family, or the parents and the other siblings. So, I think it’s nice for people to kind of see what’s happened over time and how people have to continue living and making the best, day to day, of their life circumstances,” said Smith.

MEMORIES REMAIN

Smith said when the family learned of the tragic fire on Feb. 19, 2019, the one that saw seven Syrian refugee children perish, their hearts broke and memories flooded back about their own personal loss.

They often think of the surviving members of the Barho family — the parents Ebraheim and Kawthar. The father was critically injured in the fire, suffering extensive burns to his body when their rental home in

Paula Smith and her daughter, Haley Pickett, share a tender moment at Smith’s Sackville home. Smith says despite experiencing tragedy when she was a child — three of her siblings died in a fire — she’s managed to continue on and live a happy, successful life.

CAROLE MORRIS-UNDERHILL

Spryfield caught fire. All seven children, ranging in age from infant to mid-teens, died that day. News of the tragedy struck a chord with Canadians the world over. The Barhos had only arrived in Canada in 2017 and did so to make a better life for their children.

Smith’s mother was particularly devastated by the news.

“She was quite upset over that situation and didn’t really want to talk about it too much; it brought back too many memories,” said Smith.

“It’s something you never get over — you grieve all of your life. But you learn that you have to keep living every day. So, you kind of move on, but you never forget.”

In 1969, Charles Illsley of Halifax presented Graham Greenough of Woodville and Terry Manning (not pictured) with a bronze medal for bravery issued by the Royal Canadian Humane Association for their role in saving the life of Paula Carver and attempting to save her siblings. Pictured with Greenough is Carver, who was a toddler when she was rescued from the burning home.

FILE

Nancy Henry is pictured with yarn nests she and other craftspeople made in support of an effort to help animals affected by wildfires in Australia.

Using leftover yarn, Henry crocheted six nests of varying sizes for the effort between Jan. 10 and 13. She said she would likely get another done before she had to deliver the items. She plans to continue making more after the first batch is sent.

Henry said her biggest concern

KIRK STARRATT PHOTOS

was how they were going to ship the items to Australia, as a package weighing approximately two pounds could cost as much as $250 to mail. She then heard that Air Canada would be putting on a special cargo flight, free of charge, to deliver donations gathered across the country.

Henry learned through the CARCG page that there is a collection hub for donated items in Bedford. She planned to deliver her items and those made by two other craftspeople on Jan. 14. The items had to be in Halifax by Jan. 15 for shipping on Jan. 17.

She said they are hopeful there will be other free or low-cost cargo flight at some point, sponsored by Air Canada or other airlines, so that more

items can be delivered.

She said it’s great to see families working together on projects and some children are learning to crochet just so that they can help the animals.

Henry finds the situation with the Australia wildfires “mindboggling.” Australian and international firefighters must be exhausted. The impact on people is unimaginable and the natural environment is being devastated.

Plants, insects and animals are perishing, significantly impacting the food chain. With the summer season just getting underway in Australia, the situation could get worse before it gets better.