GORE BAY—Fortunately, none of the residents of the 10-unit Woods Lane Apartment building in Gore Bay were injured in a devastating fire that took place on the evening of Tuesday, April 1. The building suffered extensive damage, including having its roof totally destroyed in the fire.
“I have lived here for almost 25 years,” stated Scott Rideout, one of the tenants of the apartment building. “Everything I had in the world is gone. One minute you are sitting on the couch in your home enjoying the day and then a fire takes place and everything is gone.”
Mr. Rideout was able to exit his apartment when the fire took place, while the pet dogs he owns had already been outside at the time of the fire. He spent Tuesday evening at his brother’s house in the area, where he said he will be able to live.
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“I lost everything in the fire,” stated Brenda Price. “I lost absolutely everything, even my dad’s ashes are gone, my grandmother’s jewellery, everything.”
Brenda Gibson was another resident of the apartments, having lived in one of the apartments for just over four years. “I was just sitting in my apartment watching television when I heard yelling outside from someone that there was a fire. A good Samaritan helped me to grab my cat, and I was able to get it into a cat carrier. Everything I owned is gone except for what I’m wearing.”
“Our hearts go out to the people who were affected by the fire. This is a huge loss for them,” stated Gore Bay fire chief Mike Addison. “I was the first person on the call, and the flames and smoke were rolling out the windows and up the railings to the upper level (of the building) when I got there.”
“We received the fire call at 5:21 pm,” said Fire Chief Addison. He had been on Facebook when someone had posted there was smoke coming from Woods Lane. “I immediately headed to the fire hall and when I got there our pager went off. The page we received from the communications centre was that there was an ambulance on the scene of the fire, and the fire was spreading to the second floor and that the ambulance attendant said that someone was trapped inside their apartment (which thankfully was not the case). The communications centre was overwhelmed with calls, and because the building fronts on both Meredith and Water Streets there was confusion as to the address they were receiving, and whether there were two fires taking place.”
Fire Chief Addison said it wasn’t long before the police were on the scene, and he had alerted both the Billings Township and Central Manitoulin Fire Departments that their assistance was needed to help control the fire. Hydro One was called to cut off the power.
Fire Chief Addison said the blaze started in one of the lower units of the building (which has two levels) and spread out above the one unit and travelled from there. “It got into the attic and was travelling sideways. The roof on the building is gone and there was extensive damage to a number of the apartments, while other units suffered smoke, or smoke and water damage.”
“We had teams of firefighters taking shifts overnight because the fire flared up a few times during the night,” said Fire Chief Addison. He said as firefighters were working on getting the blaze out, Gore Bay town manager Harry Schlange and town officer worker Marlene Witty and Gore Bay librarian Anya Wright opened the community hall for the tenants of the apartments. Several local residents and families took in some of the residents for the evening, while other tenants stayed at families or friends.
“Town manager Harry Schlange worked with OAHS (Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services, which owns the apartment building and are the landlord) and the Red Cross the day after to find a place to stay for all the tenants for the next few days,” said Fire Chief Addison. He noted the Angel Bus took many of the residents, who were not going to remain at family or friends’ places to two motels in Mindemoya to stay.
“Everyone was helping out with members of the Red Cross being on hand Tuesday during the day and the United Church providing clothing from their rummage sales and other people and businesses coming in with food, water and other necessities,” said Fire Chief Addison. “It was pretty amazing to see the community come together like that. The community stepped up for all the tenants.”
The fire chief contacted the office of the Ontario Fire Marshal Office (OFM) on Tuesday evening, and the OFM sent an investigator from Barrie who arrived on Wednesday. The OFM investigator was to investigate the fire scene on Thursday to try and determine the cause of the fire. “At this point the cause of the fire is undetermined, there is nothing to suggest that it was intentionally set,” said Fire Chief Addison (on Friday), who noted OFM will be providing a full report in the near future.
A representative from OAHS met with the apartment tenants on Wednesday afternoon to console them and to inform them that arrangements had been made with the Angel Bus to transport residents to Mindemoya to stay at motels there for a few days.
In a prepared statement Wednesday from Rob Hargin, senior property manager at OAHS he wrote, “OAHS is deeply grateful that all residents impacted by the fire at our Gore Bay property (66 Meredith Street) are safe and accounted for. The safety and well-being of our residents remain our top priority.”
“We are actively working with the Gore Bay-Gordon/Barrie Island Fire Department, Ontario Provincial Police and other relevant authorities as they assess the situation. We extend our sincere thanks to the first responders whose swift actions ensured the safety of those involved,” wrote Mr. Hargin.
Mr. Hargin explained, “At this time, we do not have alternative one-bedroom residences available in Gore Bay for immediate relocation. Our team is actively working to find temporary accommodation for affected residents, including hotel stays, while we assess long-term solutions. We understand how difficult this situation is, and we remain in close contact with the residents to provide guidance and support.”
“We recognize the uncertainty and hardship this situation brings, and we appreciate the patience and resilience of our residents and community partners as we navigate next steps,” wrote Mr. Hargin. “We will continue to share updates as more information becomes available.”
On the evening of April 1, Gore Bay Mayor Ron Lane had posted on a Facebook page that while the building was severely damaged, fortunately there were no injuries or fatalities. “The community hall is open for anyone that needs assistance,” he wrote at 7:29 pm. “The fire now appears to be contained and under control with many thanks going out to all of our first responders, both from Gore Bay and surrounding communities (which included the Town of Gore Bay, Billings Township and Central Manitoulin volunteer fire departments, Sudbury-Manitoulin paramedics).
Mr. Schlange told The Expositor on Wednesday that, “the community really came together to assist. Without them many individuals would have been displaced Tuesday evening.” Several families, including the Dan and Lynn Osborne family, Rene Zillio and Almaz Gebrekristose provided lodging for three residents, with at least one other person housing a resident for the evening, and several of the renters staying with family members. Dr. Chantelle Wilson provided any medical assistance and with Central Pharmacy making sure any resident patient prescriptions were filled. Lunch and coffee Wednesday was provided by Loco Beanz and Waters Edge Restaurant, while many other businesses and residents provided assistance including Finnia Chocolate, The Flower Hutch, Pam Fogal, Gore Bay Fire Chief Mike Addison and the three fire departments of Gore Bay, Billings and Central Manitoulin.
The Red Cross was at the community hall all day Wednesday morning, to provide up to 72 hours of needs assessment and emergency support, such as providing food, making arrangements for lodging, clothing and personal care items for all those displaced in the fire and other necessities.
Terrence Smith, of the Red Cross commented, “This town is amazing in how they came together to help out.”
