Getting locked out of your house in -30 C is no way to spend Christmas Eve.
That’s the problem Nicole Babstock faced a couple weeks back when she accidentally locked out herself and her four children, leaving her in a panic.
Babstock said she called seven different locksmiths, but found that no one was available. Uncertain what to do, Babstock posted on a St. Albert Facebook page looking for help, and heard back from a man named Tony Robinson.
“He came over and we tried both doors, and then he tried one of the small windows in my basement and was able to slide himself through,” Babstock said.
That wasn’t the only time Robinson came to Babstock’s rescue.
“A few days later, I went to turn on my car and it wouldn’t start,” Babstock said. “I was literally on my way to my first day at my new job, and I couldn’t go.”
Babstock made another Facebook post to see if anyone could help her out, and Robinson once again appeared.
“He had to drive into a snowbank so that his truck could get close enough to my car to be able to jump it,” Babstock said.
Babstock said she and her husband — who works out of town — recently moved to St. Albert, and aside from a cousin in the area, the pair have no one to reach out to. Babstock said Robinson's favours "meant the world" to her.
“It really helped make me feel like this community is caring, and there are still really good people in this world," Babstock said.
Robinson frequently responds to Facebook requests similar to Babstock’s, and is often hailed as a local hero by St. Albertans online. Commentors frequently thank him for helping them out of a tough situation, or admire his many good deeds from afar.
Tony McNabb said he went to elementary school with Robinson in Prince Albert, Sask., where they both grew up. The two reconnected later in life when they both found themselves in St. Albert.
McNabb said while it’s always nice to reconnect with somebody from back home, having Robinson around has been particularly special.
“He’s always the first to offer a hand if you ever need anything,” McNabb said. “He’ll watch my dog for me when my family goes on trips, and he takes me and my boys out fishing all the time.”
McNabb said he has seen an outpouring of gratitude directed toward Robinson as of late, particularly because of the recent cold snap.
“He’s been helping just about everyone with their cars,” McNabb said. “He’s literally a saint around the city.”
Aimee Bouchard is another person lucky to have Robinson come to her rescue. Last week, Bouchard’s vehicle wouldn't start, and she posted on Facebook looking for help.
Within minutes, Bouchard had people offering to help her, but when one gentleman arrived to assist, he and Bouchard were still unable to get the car going.
“That’s when Tony messaged me and offered to come help,” Bouchard said. “He’s like ‘I’m just getting up from a nap, I’ll be on my way soon.’”
When Robinson arrived, Bouchard said he came equipped with heated gloves, and was accompanied by a pit bull in the front of his truck.
“He asked for my keys, and said I could wait inside,” Bouchard said. “He said ‘no sense both of us freezing out here.’ Then he stayed out until he got it going and then was like ‘gotta run, have a great evening.’”
Since then, Bouchard said Robinson has come by a second time to get her car started so she could make her way to work. He also offered to take a look at her vehicle when the weather warms up, and install new battery if she needs one.
As a single mom who just moved back to her hometown of St. Albert, Bouchard said she has been “blown away” by the sense of community in the city, and said Robinson has contributed to that sense of belonging.
“His willingness to do all this — especially in these brutal cold temperatures — is just amazing,” Bouchard said. “It strikes me that he’s not doing it for a boost of self-esteem, he’s just a kind-hearted angel with booster cables.”
Robinson declined an interview with The Gazette, saying he prefers to “fly under the radar.”
Stefanie Orazietti has known Robinson for the past three years through McNabb, whose cousin is her boyfriend. She said the response sounds typical of Robinson, who she described as “very humble.”
“I know a few people that volunteer in the community and would love to have more people know about it,” Orazietti laughed. “[Robinson’s] not like that. He just wants to help, and then he goes on his way.”
According to Orazietti, Robinson used to work for the RCMP, and was first posted to Grande Prairie, and then to St. Albert.
Before he worked for the Mounties, Orazietti said Robinson worked as a mechanic — knowledge he is now always gifting others.
“He even bought car parts for one woman’s car, and didn’t charge her a dime,” Orazietti said.
In addition to helping people out, Orazietti said Robinson has an “amazing art ability” he expresses through welding, and that he recently made a table that looks like it’s floating. She also described Robinson as an animal lover; in addition to his pit bull Angus, Robinson has two cats he adopted from Little Cats Lost, and another he found at a farm while helping someone out.
While Robinson won’t accept payment for his good deeds, Orazietti — who volunteers for Little Cats Lost — said Robinson recently asked her if he could keep a jar in his truck and offer to accept donations for the organization, should people he helps want to give.
Orazietti shared a memory where Robinson took both his and her children out on their first ice-fishing expedition in Wabamun. Orazietti said her son has grown close with Robinson’s son, who she described as a mini version of his dad.
“[Tony] taught us how to ice fish, and the big joke was that I thought I was gonna fall through the ice with my car because I was driving it on the ice and I’ve never done that before,” Orazietti said. “So of course, [Tony] says ‘just follow me, and if anyone’s going through the ice, it’ll be me first.’”
She recalled one time where she thought she was spraying weed reducer on her lawn, and had ended up accidentally killing all the grass with Roundup. Orazietti said Tony and his wife — who he refers to as his bride — came by and helped her plant new grass.
“It’s not just mechanics, he’ll just help anybody with anything,” Orazietti said. “He’s a remarkable man, I can’t say enough about him … with Tony around as a friend there for me, I never, ever feel like I’m alone.”
