Alex Cameron got woken up at 3 a.m. Thursday by firefighters and told he had to leave his apartment immediately. He lives beside 78 Main St. in Penetanguishene, where two outside walls collapsed early this morning.
"I didn't hear the collapse but I was panicked. I grabbed my dog and some pills and that was it," he said Thursday afternoon as Enbridge Gas workers used machinery to cut gas to the building. "I forgot my wallet."
He and 13 other people displaced by the building collapse are scrambling to find out when they can get back into their apartments and businesses, but Midland/Penetanguishene Fire Chief Richard Renaud said the building is not yet secure.
Renaud said firefighters had begun to investigate the interior of the units along with a third-party engineer.
"Our goal is to shore up the structure, but we don't know if we can save the building. The engineer will make the determination," Renaud explained.
Cameron and others were standing at Main and Robert streets behind yellow caution tape Thursday afternoon, hoping for some answers.
Cameron has found a place to stay Thursday night. His apartment is behind the spa which is immediately beside the collapsed portion of the more-than-century-old building.
His neighbour lives above the spa, and told Cameron his unit isn't damaged on the inside. From the exterior, you can see a hole into the second-floor apartment.
The resident living at 78 Main St. fell out of the building following the collapse but wasn't injured. He has been given a hotel room temporarily.
The building has four units in it. The one at 78 Main, which collapsed, had residential units on the first and second floor. There is a spa immediately adjacent, which is beside a tattoo parlour and Captain Ken's Diner and Pub at 70 Main St.
Kattie Cowan, owner of Captain Ken's Diner, also stood outside the taped-off portion and passed the fire department the keys to her restaurant at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, knowing that the power had been cut off and a lot of food would begin spoiling.
All the businesses along the west side of Main Street between Robert and Water streets were closed today.
"I"m upset because it was my dad's legacy. He (Ken Cowan) ran the business for 47 years and then he passed last year, so it's a little heart wrenching but at the same time everyone is safe. That's the main thing," she said.
"We will eventually, hopefully, be back open and nothing structurally is wrong."
Renaud said he doesn't know when people will be allowed back in the building or how long businesses on the west side will be closed.
The engineer on site is doing an assessment and will report his findings to the town, said the fire chief.
"We are still investigating the cause. It's too early to say why this building collapsed," said Renaud. "It's a very dated building."
Safety is paramount, the fire chief said.
"At this point we are just making sure the area is safe and then we're shoring up the building and will start taking down the part that has collapsed," he said.
Asked if he was concerned about other old buildings in Penetanguishene, Renaud said "at this point, it's a one-off. It's too early to speculate to suggest that there is concerns with other buildings. In this case because we don't know what caused the collapse, it would be premature for me to express concern about any of the other buildings."
Renaud asks the public to stay clear of the area and watch for information from the Town of Penetanguishene for updates on when businesses will reopen.
"Our goal is to turn around and secure the areas that are not damaged and remove the areas that are damaged, but it depends on what the engineer says," Renaud said.
Jeff Lees, Penetanguishene CAO, said the building was constructed in the early 1880s, so it's more than 200 years old.
Asked if the flash storm on Wednesday could have been the straw that broke the camel's back, Lees didn't want to speculate.
"We receive a number of storms throughout the year. We will continue to ensure the safety of the building and surrounding buildings."
Lees said it's "very fortunate" that no one was injured and applauded the work of the local volunteer firefighters, paramedics and police who came out at 3 a.m. to get everyone out and secure the building.
"We are very thankful there were no injuries and everyone escaped," said Lees. "The 14 people have been put up with housing with family and friends and a local hotel. We've also reached out to the County of Simcoe to see if they can assist."
Many of the buildings in Penetanguishene's downtown are old buildings. Lees said "we will continue to do due diligence with respect to the other buildings in the area."
Cowan said she is hoping that part of the building will be able to stay standing, "but our basements are all connected," she said.
