Ralph Falle and his family are one dining table away from celebrating the end of their rebuilding process after everything they owned was destroyed in the Fort McMurray wildfire in 2016.
But the table — made by hand using juniper wood sourced from family property in Newfoundland — is lost in transit.
After months of struggling with insurance companies and builders, the Falles moved into their new home at the beginning of March. The couple, along with their three daughters and three grandchildren, planned to mark the milestone with a family dinner on the Easter weekend.
“We were all ready to have this happen and come here for our first holiday and first meal together as a family,” said Falle.
The “heart and soul” of the home is going to be the live-edge dining table, made by Falle’s cousin Dwayne White in Newfoundland. Falle’s father harvested the juniper wood himself from the farm his grandfather owned near St. Georges, on the province’s southwest shore.
Ralph’s cousin, Dwayne White, made the Falle’s table by hand in his Newfoundland workshop. (Ralph Falle)
Falle paid almost $700 to have the table shipped on March 8 by Midland Transport Ltd. But the table never arrived, and the shipping companies involved have told Falle they don’t know where it is.
“Our heart dropped out of our throats. It was dumbfounding,” Falle said about hearing the news.
The table was shipped in a crate from Corner Brook to Toronto. Another company, CCT Canada, was supposed to transport the package from Toronto to Edmonton. From there, a third transporter was to haul the table by truck to Fort McMurray.
Falle started to get anxious when he hadn’t heard anything by March 16, so he called Midland to check in.
On March 19, Falle was told his table had arrived in Edmonton, and would be on its way to his doorstep.
“We expected delivery (to our house) on March 21. But nothing came,” said Falle.
Since then, he’s been talking back and forth with three companies, including Western Canada Express in Edmonton, to find out where his table is.
After escalating the call to senior managers at Midland, Falle finally learned that, in fact, his table never made it to Edmonton.
“She said when (the table) hits Toronto and it goes into the train, it kind of goes into the abyss,” Falle said.
“How can you guys not tell me where exactly the shipment is?”
Midland representative Mary Keith told CBC the table’s whereabouts is still unknown, but the companies involved are investigating to find out what happened — and determined to make it right.
“Our commitment is to make sure we do the right thing by Mr. Falle,” said Keith.
“We certainly understand how important this is to the customer and the sentimental value that it has.”
Keith said Midland is hopeful the table will be found because its partner carrier, CCT Canada, is “optimistic” about finding it.
If it isn’t found, Keith said Midland will refund the shipping cost — and replace the table.
“We understand from the furniture builder in Newfoundland that there is wood by which he could construct another table. We want to make sure that is looked after in the event that we’re not able to locate the original table that was shipped,” said Keith.
‘We’re definitely heartbroken’
The Falle’s commissioned a painting to show where the table’s wood was harvested on their family farm in Newfoundland. (Ralph Falle)
Hanging above the space where the table would have gone in the dining room is a painting the Falles commissioned that shows where the table wood was harvested in Newfoundland.
“There was a lot of thought and love and labour put into this table. So we’re definitely heartbroken about it,” said Falle.
The family is borrowing a table for their Easter weekend dinner.
Falle says he’s not holding his breath about ever seeing the table his cousin made.
“At this point, I’m not really hopeful that they’re going to find it,” he said.
“It really sounds to me that it’s gone into the abyss, never to return.”