A small community in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley is vowing to rebuild one of its major businesses after it was destroyed by fire.
The fire started at Nautical Seafoods - a seafood processing plant located in Parkers Cove, about 30 kilometres southwest of Bridgetown - Monday afternoon.
Annapolis Royal Fire Chief Malcolm Francis says the fire quickly spread throughout the building.
“There are no fire stops within, which means it got free-sailing through, so it spread very rapidly,” says Francis.
Tourists Stu and Diana Rivoire say they were astonished at the owner’s determination to continue to provide service to customers.
“The ice-making machine at the back, it was on fire and they had three hoses, garden hoses, spraying water in the vents trying to put it out and he was cooking our lobsters right at the back outside it,” says Stu.
“He brought a big pot over and it was just filled, 28 lobsters, we couldn’t believe it,” says Diana.
Nautical Seafoods employs about 30 people during the peak of the lobster season and is the only year-round employer in the area.
Efforts are being made to ensure the fire doesn’t devastate the local economy; fishermen will still be able to bring their catch to the plant and it will then be distributed to other processors.
Local employees say they plan to help rebuild the plant.
“They claim it’s going to be, and we still got our jobs, everybody will be employed and life goes on,” says employee Kevin Potter.
“There was a lot of people employed. I mean, there’s still going to be an impact,” says employee Andrew Robinson. “They’re going to rebuild so we won’t be out of work.”
Francis says it is too early to say what caused the fire but an investigation is underway.
Early estimates place the damage at more than $1 million.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ron Shaw
