As the residents and business owners who were affected by the May 24 fire on Durham Street begin to rebuild their lives, the City of Greater Sudbury says they’ll have support for as long as they need.
The building held several businesses on the main floor including Oscar's Grill, Kulta Vintage, BusinessKasual, The Coulson, Diamonds, Monteleone Custom Fashions, and Thrive Health Foods, as well as three stories of residential units. All told, there are 40 units in the building. “For some reason, once you go and you see it in that state you realize that it's so much more than that,” she said. “It has character, the building has soul. It has life, meaning and purpose.”
After the fire, the Red Cross set up an emergency station at the YMCA downtown, and many residents spent the night there. It’s part of a partnership with the city, said Gail Spencer, manager of housing stability and homelessness. Initially, there were 28 people affected by the fire who needed housing support. As of today, there are eight families that the city is assisting, continuing support on a week-to-week basis for as long as needed.