'There were folks with tears in their eyes': Community saddened by the loss of Chester Playhouse in Nova Scotia
Chester Playhouse, often described as the heart of the community, went up in flames on Friday. Fire tore through the 83-year-old structure.
The damage is significant but some pre-planning helped limit the spread of the fire.
Black smoke billowing high into the air drew many people to downtown Chester late Friday afternoon.
"(The) whole front looks normal, but there was a window in the front that was smashed and the flames were coming out of there, we didn’t realize the whole back was on fire," says Chester resident Jacqueline Swinemar.
Built in 1938, the structure has transitioned from a movie house, to a puppet theatre to the current playhouse. The community calls the loss devastating.
"It’s a real hub, a real heart of this community. Being down here yesterday, there were folks with tears in their eyes, folks that had grown up seeing shows or doing theatre classes, just being part of the playhouse," says Executive Director Andrew Chandler.
The building was at the tail end of a $1.3 million dollar renovation, part of the upgrading, was the installation of a firewall that helped save adjacent buildings. Another major factor working in favour of firefighters was a template on how to combat a fire at this particular building.
"At our officer meetings, we spend a fair bit of time discussing and preplanning a specific location with another district. About two years ago, this was a place that we chose to have a pre-plan on, our water supply, what we would need for equipment, manpower and who we would call in," says Cody Stevens, deputy chief of the Chester Fire Department.
Friday, that plan of attack paid off.
"We ran five inch supply lines to the ocean, and then we put those lines in between the buildings on each corner and the aerial device is up and we just basically surrounded this entire building with water," says Stevens.
Katherine Gleason runs a craft store next door.
"The fact that they could contain it, just a huge credit to them and I think everybody is incredibly grateful," says Gleason.
Village Coun. Danielle Barkhouse says the playhouse will have the support of the community when it comes time to rebuild.
"We love the playhouse, we support the playhouse 100 per cent and it’s one of a kind," says Barkhouse.
The Chester volunteer fire department received mutual aid from 17 nearby departments.
More than 100 firefighters were on scene.
There were people inside at the time of the fire but everyone safely evacuated the building.
At this point, it is too early to know what caused the fire or even if the building is salvageable.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.