Tuesday morning’s downtown fire has resulted in a “complete loss” of the historic building at the southwest corner of Peter and Mississaga streets, city officials confirmed, directly impacting several businesses and residents.
The following video is from D & J’s Video Productions/Justin Mercer.
Among those directly affected are Dr. Comics, Kelly’s Klothing, and Three Birds Salon — as well as tenants in nearby apartments — all of which building owner Jeff Pitcher said weighed heavily on his mind when he learned about the fire Tuesday morning on social media.
“At first, my thoughts were with the tenants and the effects on their businesses. They’re all small business owners, and things are difficult for them,” Pitcher told OrilliaMatters.
“I’m just glad that no one was injured … and I’m glad the fire hasn’t spread to the adjacent buildings.”
The Orillia Fire Department has deemed the building — which Pitcher said was built in 1895 — to be a total loss following the fire, city officials told OrilliaMatters Tuesday afternoon.
While the city is waiting for its building division to assess the structure’s condition, Pitcher suspects it will need to be demolished.
“It’s a complete loss, and the plan will be to hopefully rebuild something as nice as what was there before,” he said.
As firefighters from Orillia and surrounding areas fought the blaze, with smoke towering above downtown buildings, many stepped up to help first responders and those affected.
Eclectic Cafe, the Orillia Opera House, and Fabstyle Hair Design opened their doors to first responders and the public; the city used transit buses as warming stations, and the Salvation Army provided support on site.
Pitcher thanked all those who helped.
“We thank the community for their words of support, and we thank the Salvation Army for providing refreshments to the firefighters, and the City of Orillia for their city buses to provide warmth and refuge to the firefighters,” he said.
“And we mourn the loss of this great historic building that has been a central fixture of downtown for the past 130 years.”
The fire is “devastating” for those affected and the broader community, said Deron Johnston, general manager of the Downtown Orillia BIA.
“Losing heritage buildings is losing part of your history — almost part of your identity. It’s devastating,” he said.
“We’re very concerned ... not just about the damage caused by the fire and the financial impact, but we’re also concerned about our business owners and their employees, about their mental health, too. This is a traumatic experience.”
Johnston said the BIA will meet with the city to “see if there’s anything we can do just to soften the blow from this terrible event.”
The following video is from D & J’s Video Productions/Justin Mercer.
