Stranger helps North Shuswap man rebuild comic book collection lost to wildfire

Barney Tomma shakes his head, smiles — and cries — as he flips through a stack of comic books in the Chase, B.C., motel room that is now his temporary home.

It's been six weeks since the Bush Creek East wildfire erupted and destroyed more than 200 buildings in B.C.'s North Shuswap.

Tomma's rented house on Squilax land in the Scotch Creek area was one of them.

The 63-year-old spent a few weeks at a camp for evacuees in Kamloops.

That's where he first spoke with CBC about the night he lost the massive comic book collection he spent most of his life building.

WATCH | Tomma on the loss of his collection: 

Stranger helps comic book collector restart collection after Bush Creek East wildfire

1 year ago

Duration 2:09

Thanks to a generous stranger, Barney Tomma has re-started the comic book collection he lost when a wildfire destroyed his home on the Skwla̓x te Secwe̓pemcu̓lecw reserve in August. Trail, B.C., resident Gordon MacRae heard CBC's story featuring Barney, and decided to donate his own, smaller collection.

"I'm too old to start over again. All my memories — 34,000 comics — gone. That was my retirement fund. Gone. I've been collecting comics for 40 years. That was my savings account, you could say." 

When Gord MacRae, who lives in Trail, B.C., heard that interview he reached out to CBC with an offer to donate his comic book collection to Tomma.

They met up outside Tomma's motel in Chase this week where he handed over three large boxes containing up to 300 comic books.

WATCH | MacRae and Tomma meet: 

B.C. comic collector loses 40-year collection to devastating wildfire

1 year ago

Duration 3:36

Barney Tomma, 63, has lived his entire life on the Skwla̓x te Secwe̓pemcu̓lecw reserve. On Saturday, he found out his home — and decades-long collection of 34,000 comics — had gone up in smoke.

"I haven't really looked at them in at least 10 years. They're not part of my retirement plan, so I thought I could easily part with them for a good cause like this. I don't really see myself getting on websites and trying to sell them, so it made sense to me to do something kind."

After spending about 30 minutes looking at the comics together, MacRae and Tomma said they plan to stay in touch.

Tomma says he's overwhelmed by MacRae's kindness in helping him make a fresh start as he waits for his home to be rebuilt in the Scotch Creek area.