A Cochrane family’s five‑year dream of building their own home has been reduced to ashes, just weeks before they planned to move in.

John and Danielle Losier had spent half a decade constructing a modest 650‑square‑foot home on their rural property west of Calgary. Now, as they grieve the loss of their belongings, their vehicle, and their beloved family dog, they’re also facing an insurance battle that will cover only a fraction of what they need to rebuild.

With three young children and several pets, the family had been living in a camping trailer on‑site while slowly building the house themselves, using discounted materials purchased from Habitat for Humanity.

That dream collapsed in the early hours of Jan. 26.

“A fire had broken out while we were all sleeping,” John said. “It woke us all up and we got the kids out.”

Danielle remembers opening her eyes to a terrifying glow.

“I woke up in the middle of the night and the whole trailer was orange,” she said. “The west side of the house had caught fire.”

John stayed behind to try to control the flames and rescue the animals, suffering minor burns and smoke inhalation. Danielle rushed the children to the gate to meet firefighters and guide them in.

“The fire department didn’t have enough water with them and it got out of hand very quickly,” John said. “Part of the house fell on the trailer. The whole trailer burned down, damaged one of our vehicles that I was using to get to work, and we lost everything.”

The most significant loss, according to John, was the family’s dog, Sunny, who did not survive.

Insurance complications

The Losiers designed their home around the discounted materials they had carefully sourced over the years, appliances, fixtures, and building supplies purchased at reduced cost from Habitat for Humanity.

Now, that frugality is working against them.

“We designed the house around these things, and the insurance company says, ‘We’ll pay what you paid,’” John explained.

But replacing those items at full retail price is far more expensive, and the family says the payout won’t come close to covering the cost of rebuilding.

Danielle says they were just days away from finishing the interior.

“My husband was just finishing up the drywall. I was literally putting stencils on the floor, doing decorative things. We already had all of the appliances installed,” she said.

Their children had been begging to sleep in the new house, but the couple had held off because the fire alarms weren’t installed yet.

Community support

While the family mourns their dog and the loss of their home, they’re grateful for what little could be saved.

“Luckily, I was able to recover my mom’s ashes,” Danielle said.

Friends, neighbours, and strangers have begun rallying around the Losiers. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help them rebuild and replace essentials.

“Looking ahead, John, the kids, and I all unanimously want to return to the property as soon as possible to restore some sense of normalcy,” reads the GoFundMe page. “Keeping the kids in their schools, caring for the animals, and beginning again.

The family says they still don’t know how the fire started.