The workmen arrived without much fanfare Monday morning and set about stripping the aging shingles from the roof of the triage centre at .
The roofing crew was provided by , the B.C. road builder that has been helping Critter Care with much-needed renovations and repairs this year.
"Just amazing," said a delighted Gail Martin, the founder of the 91原创-based wild animal rescue and rehab society.
"It would have taken us ages to fund-raise to get this done. It was badly needed."
It is the latest good deed by Mainroad, which got involved when company general manager Real Charrois walked into Martin's office earlier this year and asked if there was any work that needed doing.
鈥淏oy, do I have jobs for you,鈥 she said.
During a walk around the property Martin pointed out several possible projects, expecting Charrois would pick just one.
鈥淚 told him we needed a little roof over the intern building deck, a new food shed that was rat proof and he said, 鈥榶es we can do that鈥 [then] he said 'what else?'鈥
So she told him how the fawn enclosure needed an addition and how some cement slabs donated by Abbotsford Concrete needed to be laid in their new skunk nursery.
And, oh yes, the roof on the triage centre needed patching.
鈥淲e can do all that for you,鈥 Charrois said.
He wasn't kidding.
Considering all the other jobs Mainroad has carried out so far, Martin was expecting a modest patch job on the roof, not a full-on remove-and-replace.
"They just showed up today and started working. It's great," Martin said.
"We are so thankful."
The Critter Care Wildlife Society is currently caring for 16 black orphaned bear cubs that includes one set of triplets from Anmore, another set of triplets from Coquitlam, plus numerous singles from communities like Whistler, Sechelt and Hope.
On Monday, Dec. 5, the same day the roof renos started, the society launched its annual Christmas Shopping Spree, a fund-raiser which runs until Dec. 19.
"We have so many beautiful trivets with pictures of our animals," Martin said. "And coasters that could go with the trivets."
There are also all kinds of clothing from zippered hoodies with paw prints, sweat shirts and sweat pants.
As well as Critter Care's new 2012 calendars and more.
The sale runs daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Critter Care, .