Rockslide shuts down B.C. highway before wedding, stranding father-of-the-bride

VANCOUVER -

In the weeks leading up to Tazz Norris and Lisa Lalonde’s Penticton wedding, they already had guests cancel due to wildfires, smoke and the travel ban, which was rescinded earlier than anticipated.

The couple did not think they would have another roadblock on their big day.

“The fires kept creeping down and then moving back and creeping down and we're moving back and you know, and then I said, ‘Oh, you know what's the worst can happen?’ And then the landslide happened,” Norris recalled.

On Monday afternoon, just three-and-a-half hours before Norris and Lalonde were set to tie the knot, a rockslide spilling 3,000 cubic metres of material crashed down on Highway 97 between Summerland and Peachland.

Lalonde’s 92-year-old father was on his way to the wedding with the rest of the family from Kelowna.

“We drove up to the slide and of course, we couldn't get through. We had to come back and we didn't know how we were going to get to the wedding,” Jack Lalonde told CTV News.

“At my age, I just sat by and let other people figure it out because I couldn't do anything.”

He was right. At that time, family members made a call out for help to friends and strangers.

“I’m all dressed up,” the bride said. “My brother phoned me, I think around 3:30 or 4:00, to say “Hey, are you sitting down?’ and I lied and said that I was, but I wasn't. And then he told me about the slide and then I did have to sit down.”

BOAT TO THE RESCUE

Since there isn’t another direct route between Kelowna and Penticton, the quickest way to get the father-of-the-bride to the wedding was by boat.

Since there isn’t another direct route between Kelowna and Penticton, the quickest way to get the father-of-the-bride to the wedding was by boat.

Strangers offered to help but in the end, a friend, who’s also skilled at rescues, answered the call.

“It was pretty normal for me,” said Randy Brown, a search manager with Penticton Search and Rescue. “I think for them, it was very stressful and I can understand that. My heart went out to them. And I was really happy to be part of it and make it happen.”

Brown put a tracker on the boat so the newlyweds could see when the rest of the family would be arriving.

Due to strong winds, the ride was about 50 minutes.

The wedding was delayed by 90 minutes to ensure the father-of-the-bride could attend.

The couple said it was especially important to have the 92-year-old there because the bride’s mother passed away just two months before.

“It did mean the world, especially with mom being gone; she was supposed to be there,” Lalonde said.

‘BEAUTIFUL DAY’

The rest of the day went off without a hitch.

Lalonde walked his daughter down the aisle in blue suede shoes, the same pair he wore when he got married in 1955.

Lalonde walked his daughter down the aisle in blue suede shoes, the same pair he wore when he got married in 1955.

“One of the highlights,” he described of that moment. “Being there and seeing two happy people, united and starting a new life, it’s an experience. It was great.”

A few people were not able to attend due to the rockslide and they organized a viewing party to see the nuptials.

“It was a beautiful, beautiful day; beautiful ceremony,” Lalonde said. There was a lot of love in the room. And it just, you know, made it all the more special with all the adversity that we had to go through to get to this point.”

ROCKSLIDES THEN WILDFIRES

The next day, Lalonde’s father was only back at his assisted-living facility for a few hours before he had to be evacuated again because of the McDougall Creek wildfire.

He was evacuated initially when the fire first spread and he stayed with family in Summerland. But this time, he will be staying with family in Kelowna.

“I didn't expect the second time, it’s quite something,” he said.

Norris said it was hard on him to leave again, but he’s taking it in stride.

“He treats it like a big adventure. He's got an iPad, his iPhone and his chargers,” Lalonde said.

The newlyweds are now in Winnipeg to have another wedding ceremony with Norris’ family.

“The only times there's a rockslide in Winnipeg is if somebody's curling,” he quipped. He said as a comedian, the past week has given him new material for upcoming shows.

They also believe the hurdles they face, only strengthen their bond.

“We figured it was a way to show that together, we can get through anything,” he said.