Within the chaos caused by the storms that ravaged most of the country last week, one Victoria woman eked out a Christmas miracle.
Heidi-Louise Chadwick was just one of hundreds of people left with no way home for the holidays, after snowfall and storms impacted travel Dec. 21.
The mother, who was travelling alone with their two-year-old son, found herself stranded in Calgary without luggage, after WestJet delayed her flight for hours, eventually cancelling it all together.
READ MORE: WestJet cancels long list of Victoria International Airport flights
Chadwick was just one of WestJet’s customers who were shafted by the airline, which was unable to provide her with adequate assistance. As a result, her husband drove the 14 hours to Calgary from Victoria to rescue his wife and son, who were in a hotel with only a carry-on.
On their trek back home, the family saw a truck off to the side of the road and what looked like a collision Chadwick said, only heightening the apocalyptic vibe of the saga.
They made the seven o’clock ferry to Victoria and three days after Chadwick’s nightmare began, she made it home, just in time for Christmas Eve.
READ ALSO: ‘Scary’: Victoria mom left ‘abandoned’ in airport with toddler and no luggage
But with calls flooding the airline and customer service lacking, following up with WestJet was unsuccessful.
“I had one phone call from WestJet on Boxing Day but it left me on hold for 20 minutes and then it ended the call,” Chadwick said. “If I’d have waited for them, we’d likely still be in Calgary.”
As for her luggage, it miraculously made it to Victoria.
“We drove to the airport on Boxing Day to see if my suitcase was there and miraculously it was,” Chadwick said. “A Christmas miracle!”
@HLFerguson
hollie.ferguson@vicnews.com
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