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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-05-02, Page 32PAGE 32. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013.Suspicious fire devastates Seaforth grocery storeAfter a fire broke out at Seaforth Foodland early Saturday morning, nothing was left behind. Over 50 employees and many Huron East community members are left to pick up the pieces. Members of the Seaforth division of the Huron East Fire Department were called out to the blaze at 2:10 a.m. They soon called the Central Huron Fire Department for assistance when they saw the extent of the fire. Huron East Fire Chief Marty Bedard says that the Ontario Fire Marshal will soon be conducting an investigation as to what started the blaze, but that it is currently being treated as a suspicious fire. Huron East Council’s Administration Committee held anemergency meeting at 7 a.m.Monday morning. Present wereSeaforth’s two councillors, Nathan Marshall and Bob Fisher, as well as Carolanne Doig from the Seaforth BIA. The goal, says Huron East Chief Administrative Officer Brad Knight, is to hopefully set up Foodland in a temporary location. Initial locations that have been discussed, Knight says, are the Seaforth Community Centre and the Seaforth Agri-plex. Knight said that officials from Sobey’s were planning on visiting the community on Monday to determine the feasibility of the locations and whether to use one, or both of the locations in the interim. After meeting with representatives from Sobey’s, Knight says that while nothing has been finalized, it seems that the community centre’s ice pad meets the company’s needs better than the Agri-Plex, due to the paved parking lot, power capacity, the lighting and the fact that it is fully accessible. Nobody was injured in the blaze and the dollar value of the fire is not yet known, however, the Huron OPP estimates that the building is a complete loss and that the damage caused is in the neighbourhood of $2 million. A release issued by the OPP on Monday states that investigators believe that the fire began at the rear loading dock and quickly spread throughout the building. Firefighters say that after they were initially called out to the scene shortly after 2 a.m., the fire began to rapidly spread through the building. Shortly after 4 a.m. the roof began to sag and firefighters were pulled out of the building. The Mitchell Fire Department was eventually brought in as well working to extinguish the fire alongside the other two departments around 5 a.m., but it was already too late. Firefighters from Clinton and Mitchell left the scene around 8 a.m. but Seaforth firefighters stayed until 3:30 p.m., returning once on Saturday evening and then again on Sunday morning to extinguish hot spots that had continued to smoulder. In the meantime, the store’s owner Steve Delchiaro will be working with Huron East and Sobey’s to find a temporary alternative, but it’s Delchairo’s intent, he told local media outlets, to rebuild the store in Seaforth eventually. Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan called a special meeting of Huron East Council for Tuesday night, coverage of that meeting can be found in the next issue of The Citizen In the meantime, Huron OPP are searching for anyone who may have information about the blaze to call them at 1-888-310-1122. By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen Destruction Shortly before 3 a.m. a fire of unidentified origin caused a blazing inferno in Seaforth leaving nothing but the front wall of the Foodland grocery store standing. Nearby buildings were undamaged by the fire, though some smoke damage may have occurred. More pictures of the devastation wrought by the fire are available on The Citizen’s website at www.northhuron.on.ca (Denny Scott photo) Brussels’ Clark holding ‘crank in’ for knitting machines Sandra Clark of Brussels will be hosting a “crank in” at St. John’s Anglican Church on May 11. She is hoping around a dozen people, along with their antique sock knitting machines, will be able to take part. Clark says that a crank in is a great chance to meet with others who own these machines which date to the late 1800s. She says it will be a great social day, as well as an opportunity for machine owners to help one another with any issue they may be having. She says the machines are simple enough to run, but coming across an instruction manual can be the tough part, so fellowship in the community is essential for those owners who are still working to figure out their machines. Clark says she has had her machine for seven years and is still figuring it out. There is, however, a community of other machine owners is out there, she says. For example, the third annual Great Canadian Crank In will be held in Port Elgin this year, which has been a great event for owners of these antique gems, Clark says. Clark’s machine is a Legare, which is a Canadian-made machine that she purchased several years ago. She sees the machines, however, as a link to her past, as her aunt came over from the United Kingdom in the 1920s and was given one of these sock knitting machines when her family first settled in Quebec. When her family first settled, Clark said, they were given a house and some land, and some livestock to get their lives started. Her aunt, however, was given one of these machines. The idea behind it, Clark says, was that her aunt could knit some creations and sell them at stores through an agent in town. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. John’s Anglican Church in Brussels and Clark is inviting anyone with an antique sock knitting machine out to enjoy the fellowship and the fun. Total loss An early morning fire left next to nothing of the Seaforth Foodland standing. Owner Steve Delchiaro is working with local government officials to get the store reopened as soon as possible. (Photo submitted) By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Continued from page 31 Inn near St. Joseph which will feature some remarkable performances. The entertainment lined up includes a variety of genre highlighting the raison d’être for the evening: • talented author Hayley Linfield, Alice Munro Short Story Winner • exceptional young actors Hugh Lobb and Curtis teBrinke • Juno-nominated singer/ songwriter Lyndon John X • award-winning Celtic Blue Highlands Pipe and Drum Band • the brilliant Bach Music Festival of Canada, and • a gifted drama group from the Blyth Festival performing work from a new play based on the Great Storm of 1913, entitled Fury. Members of the public are invited to attend. Cocktails and hors d’ouevres at 7 p.m. awards at 8 p.m. Tickets ($12) can be purchased through the Blyth Festival box office at 519-523-9300 or 1-877-862- 5984. HAHN awards recognize artists, actors, musicians Continued from page 30 addition of more races, a summer sports camp and truck racing. “[The additions] will aid in diversifying what the Walton Raceway facility can manage,” he said in the release. New events at the site include the Canadian Off-Road Truck Racing Championship set for August 24-25 and Mudbog ATV/Side by Side competitions on May 19, May 26 and June 16. For more information on the upcoming season or the new ownership, visit waltonraceway.ca Truck racing, mudbog events set for Walton Starting the day out right Charlie and Grace Procter, from the Brussels area, made the trip west to Blyth on Sunday morning to enjoy breakfast with the Blyth Legion and the Legion Ladies Auxiliary. Pancakes were on the menu for the Sunday meal that drew diners from near and far. (Vicky Bremner photo