Quick fire knockdown saves historic 145-year-old Opera House in St. Marys
A timely response by St. Marys fire fighters saved a historic building from going up in flames.
Just before midnight on Friday, a resident of the Opera House on Water Street went out to walk their dog. They noticed smoke coming from a unit, which faces the back parking lot.
'They ran inside and once they got to the second story, they noticed a lot of smoke in the hallway,' said Chief Phil West of St. Marys Fire Dept.
'They pounded on the door saying, 'There's a fire.' That gentleman might have saved a life.'
The individual went back in and learned another tenant had called 911 and another had used the pull station and fire alarms were activated.
St. Marys opera house fire July 4 2025
Fire destroyed one unit at the Opera House in St. Marys, Ont. on Friday, July 4, 2025 (Brent Lale/CTV London)
West said the woman was distraught and couldn't really answer whether she was about to fall asleep or sleeping. She did not need to be taken to hospital and moved with her cat into a friend's house temporarily.
'We called mutual aid (Granton Fire and Uniondale) right away,' said West.
'It was a quick knock down from the outside and through a window which was broken from the heat of the fire.'
Saturday morning, the building's owner along with the town's building inspector and the Chief Fire Inspector of St. Marys Fire were on scene.
Tenants have been displaced until officials can approve a safe return.
St. Marys opera house fire July 4 2025
Fire destroyed one unit at the Opera House in St. Marys, Ont. on Friday, July 4, 2025 (Brent Lale/CTV London)
'That's going to be up to the building inspector,' said West.
'St. Marys Fire is going to be involved with making sure the fire system is back up and running, adequately. They're going to have to determine damage from the water below, from the entranceway, they're going to have to deal whether that's safe or close that area off while it's getting repaired.'
The historic building constructed between 1879 and 1880 has an exterior which is protected by an Ontario Heritage Trust conservation easement. The stone building on the Thames River is also designated by the Town of St. Marys.
The Opera House is significant for its association with social life and performances of Shakespearean plays, musical comedies, vaudeville shows, and even political rallies.The building was restored into apartments in 1987.
History was saved thanks to a quick response by a Samaritan and local fire fighters.
'It could have been a lot bigger and a lot worse,' said West.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
6 hours ago
- CTV News
Advocate calls for better rail safety on 12th anniversary of Lac-Mégantic disaster
Smoke rises from railway cars that were carrying crude oil after derailing in downtown Lac-Mégantic, Que., Saturday, July 6, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson MONTREAL — As citizens of Lac-Mégantic, Que., marked the 12th anniversary of a rail disaster that killed 47 people when a runaway train derailed and smashed into downtown, an advocate warned that more needs to be done to ensure rail safety. On Sunday, the town lowered flags to half-mast, laid flowers and organized a moment of silence to commemorate the July 6, 2013, tragedy. Officials also asked that the rail company not run trains through the area out of respect for the victims. But spokesman for a citizens' rail safety group believes not enough has been done to ensure the town's some 6,000 residents are safe from future disasters. Robert Bellefleur says trains have become longer and heavier, while a long-promised bypass to divert them from the city's core has not been built. 'Before, trains were about 80 wagons long on are now more than 200 wagons, are more than 15,000 feet long with big locomotives that often weigh more than 150 tonnes,' said Bellefleur, who is a spokesman for a group of citizens who are working ensure better rail safety in Lac-Mégantic These 'monster' trains are travelling on rails lines built between 1880 and 1920 'for trains that were much lighter and much smaller,' Bellefleur said. He believes trains are more dangerous now than at the start of the 2000s, and 'it's not just Lac-Mégantic that's at risk.' In recent months, he said citizens have noticed wear and erosion around railway culverts near the town's entrance, which is 'nothing to reassure citizens,' Bellefleur said. The Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway sent workers to the site, he said. In a statement, CPKC said the tracks are in good shape and well-maintained. 'The rail line running through Lac-Mégantic is safe for rail operations, as confirmed by numerous regular inspections, including one carried out on Saturday,' said company spokesperson André Hannoush in an email. The 2013 derailment and fire destroyed much of the downtown core, forced about 2,000 people to evacuate their homes and spilled some six million litres of crude oil into the environment. The disaster happened when the brakes failed on a train parked in nearby Nantes and it barrelled down a slope and exploded in the heart of town. In 2018, the federal and provincial governments committed to joint funding for a rail bypass to send trains around Lac-Mégantic's downtown. While land expropriations took place in 2023, the Canadian Transportation Agency has yet to greenlight construction and has requested additional information on the project's environmental impacts. Some citizens in Lac-Mégantic and neighbouring communities have also become opposed to the bypass, citing concern with the route, cost and potential damage to wetlands and water supplies. Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland issued a statement on Sunday marking the anniversary, and saluting the courage of 'an entire community that, year after year, continues to rebuild itself with dignity and resilience.' She said the bypass was one of her priorities, and promised to work with the communities until it's completed. Bellefleur, for his part, said Freeland is the sixth federal transport minister to make such promises. 'In that time, the years go by,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2025. Audrey Sanikopoulos and Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press
CTV News
8 hours ago
- CTV News
Nearly a dozen displaced after fire tears through homes in Ottawa's Glebe neighbourhood
Ottawa firefighters were called to a three-alarm fire that damaged several homes and left nearly a dozen residents displaced in the Glebe neighbourhood Saturday evening. In a news release, the Ottawa Fire Services say multiple 911 callers reported visible smoke and flames impacting a single-family home in the 100 block of Fourth Avenue near Lyon Street at approximately 10:37 p.m. On scene, firefighters found four semi-detached homes, a large tree, a garage with a vehicle and multiple outside decks on fire. Firefighters dispatched additional resources to the scene and began an 'aggressive fire attack.' A second and third alarm was quickly called in due to the scale of the incident. Crews had to deal with several hazards, including live hydro lines. 'Crews worked tirelessly during fire operations, pulling down ceilings, cutting holes in roofs, and opening up walls to ensure all hidden fire was fully extinguished,' the fire service said. Glebe fire A resident's backyard after a fire in Ottawa's Glebe neighbourhood that damaged several homes Saturday evening. (Natalie van Rooy/CTV News Ottawa) Glebe fire A fire caused damage to several homes in Ottawa's Glebe neighbourhood on July 5, 2025. (Natalie van Rooy/CTV News Ottawa) Searches of the homes confirmed there were no residents trapped inside. The Ottawa Paramedic Service says it had multiple first responders sent to the area. A woman in her 60s was transported to hospital by ambulance in stable condition, paramedics say. The fire was declared under control at about 11:10 p.m. Victim Services was called in to aid eight adults and two children who will be displaced from the fire. Ottawa Fire Services public information officer Nick Defazio says crews arrived within two minutes after being dispatched, preventing the flames from spreading further. 'This was a really serious fire that could have spread really quickly throughout that street, but firefighters did an excellent job at containing it.' he said. 'The houses are in close proximity, so when the fire starts spreading, it can jump from one house to another very quickly.' Defazio says the fire appears to have started inside a garage but is still working to confirm the cause. No foul play is suspected, he said. Neighbour describes 'shocking' blaze Lisa Love-Tedjoutomo, who's home suffered minor damage in the fire, recalls seeing the glow of the flames from outside her back window before evacuating. 'I lift the blind, and I see, like it was immediate shock. It was a fire. It was gigantic,' she said. She says neighbours began knocking on doors telling them to get out. She grabbed her dogs and car keys before driving down the road to safety. 'It was just so shocking,' she said. 'I think if the fire department hadn't showed up within minutes, our backyard would have been destroyed. We have a little damage, but we were allowed to go back in our house. But our neighbors weren't so fortunate.' A quick response and a fast attack prevented a rapidly spreading fire from causing even more extensive damage in the Glebe last night. At approximately 22:37, the Ottawa Fire Services Communications Division received multiple 9-1-1 calls reporting visible smoke and flames in… — Ottawa Fire Services (@OttFire) July 6, 2025 Love-Tedjoutomo says her neighbours are still processing the damage that was caused and is thankful for the first responders who aided evacuated neighbours. 'They're doing okay,' she said. 'I think it's mostly just processing it. I think that's kind of where we're at – processing it.' With files from CTV News Ottawa's Natalie van Rooy
CTV News
9 hours ago
- CTV News
Iroquois, Ont. search and rescue unit now in service along the St. Lawrence River
Members of the Iroquois Marine Search and Rescue unit during a training exercise on the St. Lawrence River. July 6, 2025. (Jack Richardson/CTV News Ottawa). The Iroquois Marine Search and Rescue Unit (IMSAR) is officially in service, bridging a gap along the St. Lawrence River for emergency responses on water. The Iroquois, Ont.- based unit is run entirely by volunteers. Unit leader John Bridge says they are equipped to respond to broken boats, boats in danger, distressed people in the water and more. 'Any kind of emergency that you can think of on the water, we will respond to, it's basically we're Coast Guard Auxiliary saving lives on the water. It's what we do,' he said. Iroquois rescue Unit Leader John Bridge aboard the Iroquois Marine Search and Rescue boat. July 6, 2025. (Jack Richardson/CTV News Ottawa). Before the IMSAR was in service, the next nearest coast guard dispatches were nearly 100 kilometres in either direction along the river. With their presence, any emergency in their region will have a dramatically faster response. 'We've sort of set a boundary to it from Iroquois to Prescott to the west and Iroquois to Long Sault to the east,' said Bridge. 'This stretch of the seaway was an area of need for search and rescue.' Because the IMSAR works on a volunteer basis, their funds are limited. The unit partakes in community fundraisers to cover fuel costs, maintenance, new equipment and the extensive training the volunteers are required to have.
