Blaze destroys local landmark - May. 25, 2010
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Kathy Bockus/Courier
A fire, which destroyed the Wood and Wardrobe thrift store at the foot of King Street in St. Stephen early Saturday morning, May 22, is under investigation by the RCMP. St. Croix Vocational Centre board member Tony Whittaker cleans up some of the debris in front of the store which provided a work place for mentally disabled young people.
BY KATHY BOCKUS
kathy@stcroixcourier.ca
ST. STEPHEN – The Canadian cradle of the game of basketball was destroyed by fire early Saturday morning, May 22.
“This is potentially the first place that basketball was ever played in this country,” said Don Walker, local teacher and basketball enthusiast, as he surveyed the blackened interior of the Parson’s Printing building at the foot of King Street, home of the St. Croix Vocational Centre’s Wood and Wardrobe thrift store.
“This just sickens me to think that this could have been set,” said Walker, expressing his concern for the loss of both the thrift store and the piece of sports history.
St. Stephen Fire Chief Jeff Richardson said the RCMP is investigating the cause of the blaze which began around 2:20 a.m. The call out was sounded at 6:30 a.m. The Calais Fire Department, as well as the Moore Mills and Oak Bay fire departments, responded to the scene. There were five 9-1-1 calls to the fire department reporting the fire.
Richardson said it is apparent the fire began outside and then extended inside. An archway cut through into the space formerly occupied by Parson’s Printing funneled the fire through the brick structure.
Walker said he paid a visit to the building years ago when he first found out about its link with Canadian basketball history.
“It was just an eerie feeling that you would be walking in here and this is where it started in this country,” said Walker. He said a colleague of James Naismith, the founder of basketball, stayed in the building when it was used as a YMCA.
“The court was still there where they played.” St. Croix Vocational Centre board member Tony Whittaker confirmed the place the building held in sports history.
“The first basketball game played in Canada was played in the back of this building, said Whittaker, gesturing up to the second floor. “And the actual court is still there, still there intact.”
Whittaker said the fire that wiped out the thrift store is a devastating blow to the non-profit organization which purchased the building about a year ago.
“It’s certainly important to our organization and important to the community. It’s something we’ll want to deal with and recover from as quickly as we can,” said Whittaker. The building, which years ago housed Waterson’s Pharmacy, was insured.
He said the store provided a retail training opportunity for about 30 mentally disabled young adults, the majority of whom are from Charlotte County.
“We sold clothing and used miscellaneous goods. It’s amazing how generous the community has been.” But Whittaker said the store was more than a significant source of revenue for the organization.
“It’s a great venue for the trainees to get out in the public and do some work here. They really enjoy it.”
Saturday morning, Whittaker was dressed in work boots to protect his feet from all the broken glass that littered the sidewalk from the store’s large front windows. He wore work gloves as he tossed bits of charred wood into what remained of the former store and cleaned up the remnants of garbage bags filled with donations now ruined by fire, smoke and water. White foam, most of the bubbles gone flat, still pooled in puddles on the sidewalk near the storefront.
“It’s hard to tell what happened,” said Whittaker referring to how the fire may have started.
“The shop is something we rely on a lot for obvious reasons so we tend to take good care of it. It’s hard to say what happened.”
Whittaker said it looks like the fire started outside the main door of the store which was often piled high with overnight donations.
“Spontaneous combustion isn’t likely,” Whittaker stated.
He said the trainees will be upset by the fire.
“This is a place the clients can relate to. It will be upsetting for them to see it in this condition. They’ll want to see it back in shape.”
Whittaker said until the future of the building is determined, donations of clothing can be made at the Vocational Centre’s Union Street location.
Bennie Vienneau lives in an apartment nearby on Milltown Boulevard. He didn’t venture into the night to watch the fire but did come by around 9 a.m. He said he and his wife go on frequent walks which take them by the thrift store. They often see large piles of garbage bags in front of the store after people drop off donations. Recently he said he told his wife somebody was going to be up to no good one day and set them on fire. He’s not happy his prediction may have came true.
Walker said his wife, Kathy who is a board member, are both sickened by the devastation wrought by the fire.
“It’s really, really unfortunate. The board members have put so much into this place,” said Walker.
“It’s sad to think that this could happen. Somebody’s got nothing better to do. It’s just senseless. It does make you angry.
“History is one thing. You can’t replace history. It’s gone.”
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