Firefighters are reporting no injuries after a large blaze in downtown St. Catharines gutted a city landmark on Monday morning.
Officials say emergency crews were called out just before 5:30 a.m. to the old Welland House Hotel on Ontario Street near King Street.
Six city fire stations deployed units to the scene.
For a period of time residents who lived nearby were asked to remain indoors due to smoke and gas had been shut off in the area.
“Crews are actively monitoring nearby areas and buildings to ensure the fire is contained. Work continues to assess any risk of structural collapse and prevent any risks to public safety,” the city said in a release on Monday morning.
Ontario Street from Church Street to St. Paul Street is currently closed, as is William Street and King Street from Ontario Street to Queen Street.
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The vacant building, constructed in 1855, was in the process of potentially being designated as a heritage site to prevent future demolition, according to the city.
The facility was built after the discovery of natural salt springs in downtown during the mid-1800s.
“It was one of the first spa hotels to open in St. Catharines,” Dennis Gannon, a member of the Historical Society of St. Catharines, told Global News.
“It began a period in the city when the spa industry drew tourists to the town to as they say ‘take to the waters’ and attempt to improve their health by bathing in the mineral waters.”
The building was last used as a student residence before the fire.
Despite being ravaged by the fire, St. Catharines city councillors opted to give Welland House a heritage designation under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The decision was made following a motion during a closed session while firefighters were still trying to put out a smouldering blaze at the site.
The site was being considered for the label when councillors supported a recommendation from the city’s heritage committee early in 2020.
The final vote was actually originally scheduled for Monday night.
A city spokesperson says the fate of the building had not yet been determined as an inspection is still pending on its structural integrity.
Fire chief Jeff McCormick said the cause and origin of the fire is under investigation.
The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office will be working with an investigator from St. Catharines Fire Services, as well as investigators from the Niagara Regional Police.
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