Nearly three days after a heritage building in downtown Regina caught fire, crews are still working to clean up the mess, and now it is set for demolition.
Randy Ryba, a Regina Fire Marshal, said the fire was put out early Tuesday morning, and firefighters will be on the scene for the rest of the week.
Ryba said crews were forced to take a defensive approach to fighting the fire because the building was too unstable to enter.
“As portions collapse, they collapse on burning entities and they continue to burn,” Ryba explained. “So yes, we put a lot of water on, but it’s not hitting the right spots. That’s why we have kept crews on scene.”
“We haven’t had any smoke showing since 3 a.m. this morning which is a good sign that it looks like it is finally out.”
He said a floor collapsed in the back third of the third storey and a part of the second floor also collapsed.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
Autumn Dawson, the City of Regina’s director of planning and services, said the building was owned by Harvard Developments. And while a demolition permit was received in 2022 for the site, it was cancelled earlier this year.
“It was determined we could work towards maintenance on the building… and the demolition permit was cancelled, and we were working towards maintenance,” Dawson explained.
The building is believed to have been vacant at the time of the fire, with no businesses operating out of it for many years.
The Gordon Block was built in 1913 and was listed as a heritage property in 1996. The block was best known for the Novia Cafe, which closed in 2011 after 93 years.
Dawson said as the demolition process commences, they will work to preserve as many pieces as they can to maintain the building’s heritage.
“We will try to preserve as many character defining elements as we can,” she said.
The cleanup effort is also forcing the Regina Farmers Market to relocate for the rest of the season.
The heritage building served as the backdrop for the market since 2012. Holly Laird, the executive director of the Farmers Market, said the final two Saturdays of the season, the market will be moved to the REAL district.
“To see it in ruins is really sad to see,” Laird said.
The Sept. 27 market and Oct. 4 markets will be held on the other side of Victoria Avenue on the 2000 block of Scarth Street.