SIOUX LOOKOUT – Nearly a dozen seniors are returning to Patricia Plaza after a fire destroyed 11 of the 37 apartments unit at the seniors' living facility.
The fire broke out during the morning of Feb. 4. All residents were able to escape without injury.
Henry Wall, the chief administrative officer of the Kenora District Service Board, said the Sioux Lookout Fire Department and volunteers were able to restore the part of the building where the fire didn’t spread.
At this time, there is no official word on how the fire started, but Wall is pleased by the efforts made by the Sioux Lookout Fire Department and the community to ensure some residents were able to return home.
“I am very pleased to say that we had 11 residents move in this [Thursday] afternoon. They were able to move back into their homes,” Wall.
Wall said some of the units were vacant and about to be turned over to new occupants.
“That allowed us the capacity to allow some of the residents to move back today,” Wall said.
However, some of the residents were diverted to long-term care homes and alternative level of care beds in the hospital.
“Since the fire, we were able to get support services. This is another reality for Ontario. The lack of long-term care beds or access to long-term care, the lack of access to extended care beds in our communities also meant that we had seniors in Patricia Plaza who really should have been in long-term care and extended care,” Wall explained.
The services board is now focused on the portion of the building that the fire destroyed and plans to rebuild.
Wall said, “with insurance and so far, we are in negotiations on that aspect, but our hope is that in the coming months, we can work on doing a rebuild of that section.”
Wall said housing complex was built in two stages. The original build had 15 units on a two-story wing, and where the fire broke out in the wing that had the additional units.
“Just with how that was built, the electrical and air-handling systems for the original build were separate from the addition. So, that is what allowed us to get people back into their homes so quickly,” said Wall.
Wall said there are still some units in the original wing that have sustained water damage during the fire.
“We are still busy trying to get those restored,” Wall said.
There is no specific timeline for when the restoration of those units will be completed. Wall said it could be a matter of weeks.
However, the plan to rebuild the independent living units at Patricia Plaza would involve much more and replacing what was lost.
Wall would like to see more units built.
"We know we are going to rebuild. That’s a must," he said.
"Is there an opportunity at looking at doing something different? Maybe adding a few more units and so on and so forth. Those are now possibilities we can now entertain.”
Wall said rebuilding the lost units could cost upwards of $2 million. Although those figures are substantial, the services board is still waiting on their insurance company to finalize their assessment of the property.
Wall praised the community for their generosity and response to the fire.
“The community embodied everything that we’d expect from a community to do. To really come together in a moment of crisis. When a fire occurred, Sioux Lookout non-profit housing opened up its doors across the street. It’s the middle of winter. As seniors were being evacuated, they were able to go across the street to stay warm while our team mobilized,” Wall said.
Wall also acknowledges the local church groups helped to look after meals and provide emotional support for those seniors and their family members who were in crisis while KDSB worked with partners to find community housing.
“Anytime you start thanking community partners, you make a list, and you are bound to miss someone. But I want to say generally, the business community in a very big way has come together with donations, food donations in particular, clothing donations, and some businesses right away came right out and said 'What about monetary?' Knowing that in the interim seniors are supported in what they may have lost when they move back. A collection has been passed, and they have raised quite a bit of money,” said Wall.
