Many questions remain unanswered a year after the Wellington Street South fire

January 23 will mark the first anniversary of a fire that caused heavy damage to downtown Sherbrooke. A building was completely destroyed by flames on Wellington Street South, and neighboring buildings were mainly damaged by water. A year later, it is impossible to determine whether it was arson or accident. Entrepreneurs in the sector are also still facing the unknown.

An investigation is still open at the Sherbrooke Police Department, but no arrests have been made.

The Fire Protection Service also has no leads.

We are still talking about it internally, like it was a fire that required a lot of resources. Given the circumstances, the evolution of the fire, the debris at the end, it is impossible for us to determine a causeindicates its director, Martin Primeau.

Restaurateurs facing uncertainty

Other questions remain unanswered. The co-owner of Café Bla-Bla, Maxim Pothier, is notably unable to predict when he will be able to welcome customers again.

I had never seen a fire as big as that. The flames were enormous. At first, I didn’t think the building would stay standing. I will remember it all my lifehe says.

Although the building which houses his business was able to be saved, it suffered heavy damage.

When we got back, the ceilings were smashed, there was about eight inches of water on the floor. It’s an old building, so the water had gone everywhere, into the electricity and everything, so I knew there was major damagehe lists.

I told myself six months [avant la réouverture]in a pessimistic way, but I never would have doubted that it would be a year, honestly. Reopening a business after a year means reopening another restaurant. All my staff left. We tried to keep them, I transferred them to King Hall, to my other businesses, but after a year, it’s really a different story.

Maxim Pothier was far from the end of his troubles. Shortly before Christmas, when plans for the renovation were ready, some asbestos that had been found had to be removed.

There was asbestos, so they dismantled everything inside. There’s nothing left, it’s on the concrete. There, it is to finish the design, finish the financing, because it is a project which will be major. There is nothing salvageable anymore, apart from the stained glass windows and a few artifacts that we wanted to keep, he notes. This is a project that is certainly going to be a million dollars in amount. At first we were thinking of renovating, but now it’s a total reconstruction. […] This is a colossal challenge that we have before us.

Complex insurance issues

What makes the file particularly complex is the whole question of insurance.

There’s insurance for the other building that burned down. There is my landlord’s insurance. There are our own insurance policies. There are insurances from other offices. Everyone insisted on who pays what. That’s what’s complicated. This is because all insurance companies and trades coordinate.

There hasn’t been a month that I haven’t thought about giving up. This is what makes the celebration going to be fun when we reopensays Maxim Pothier.

If all goes well, Bla-Bla could reopen this summer.

As for the Liverpool, located in the other building damaged by fire and especially by water, it is impossible to establish a timetable. Annie Faucher, one of the co-owners of the establishment which has been established on the street for 33 years, is waiting for answers.

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Unfortunately, we are still dealing with insurance issues. This is one of the reasons that still delays decision-making.

The wall that the Liverpool building shared with the one that burned poses a particular problem.

The work that will be carried out on this wall is of major importance. It will take several more monthsnotes Annie Faucher.

However, part of the restoration work has been completed.

We were very proactive. Decontamination was done quickly. The asbestos removal was done quickly. The furniture had been stored. 80% of the furniture had already been cleaned. We were motivated, and we came back here in three or four months after the fireshe sighs.

This great momentum was, however, stopped dead in its tracks. It is therefore difficult, at the moment, to anticipate what happens next.

My heart really wants Liverpool to regain its place in the life of Wellington Street. That’s my wish, that’s my heart. It’s everything else that will determine [la suite des choses].

To overcome all these obstacles, the two entrepreneurs were able to count on the support of their customers, who impatiently await them.

With information from Guylaine Charette