‘She loved life’: $40,000 raised after N.S. woman dies in snowplow collision

A Nova Scotia woman who was killed by a snowplow is being remembered as warm and friendly.

In Truro, N.S., a town where familiar faces are the norm and greetings are exchanged on every corner, 54-year-old Tina Clyke was a ray of sunshine.

Known for her infectious smile and love of life, she was a beloved fixture.

“She just smiled all the time,” says her brother Gordie Clyke. “She loved life. She loved people.”

Tina Clyke died in hospital on Monday morning of injuries sustained after being struck by a snowplow.

Community rallies around family

In the hours after her death, the community has rallied in support of her family.

So far, $40,000 has been raised.

“We are just overwhelmed by the community’s support that everybody has shown Tina and our family,” says Gordie Clyke. “Millbrook First Nation, downtown businesses, friends, family.

“Tina would not believe all the support that’s going on right now for her.”

Seeing people come together is a testament to who she was, says Truro’s mayor.

“When you walked away from Tina, you walked away smiling,” says Cathy Hinton. “That is just an absolute compliment to the person that she is.

“That’s how she’s going to be remembered,” she says. “For her kindness, her selflessness and making people feel better about themselves. That was her.”

Not criminal, rather a ‘tragic accident’: police

Clyke was walking to work, cutting through a car dealership’s parking lot, when a private snowplow operator backed into her at about 6:30 a.m. Monday.

She died of her injuries in hospital.

Police said it was snowing and windy at the time, creating challenging conditions.

“At this point in time it doesn’t appear to be criminal in nature, it just appears to be a tragic accident,” Truro Police Chief Dave MacNeil said on Monday.

Sobeys staff ‘devastated,’ customers left missing her

Clyke worked at the local Sobeys for over two decades.

On Tuesday, flowers were tied by the front door — with coworkers and customers only left with memories of her welcoming presence.

“Our entire team is devastated,” says a statement from a Sobeys spokesperson. “Our focus is on supporting our teammate’s family and the local store through this crisis.”

“She’s a very nice lady,” says Marie-a Burris, a daily customer. “You could never ask for a better person. She has a soul that’s just — she’d do anything for anybody.

“Today, I just missed her so bad,” Burris says. “When I walked in there, I looked for her and she wasn’t there.”

Her place of work is only a stone’s throw from where she was struck Monday.

Despite the tragedy, her family is grateful for the love and support.

“I want the community to know that we appreciate all the support from everybody; her friends, her family, her work,” says Gordie Clyke.

“We couldn’t make it through this without the support that everybody has given us and the support and love that they’ve given Tina.”

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