Photo of the damage show the fire had taken hold of the south side of the building, as well as the deck area. Tinkess Photo
IROQUOIS – For the second time in less than a week, South Dundas Fire & Emergency Services (SDFES) responded to a fire at the Iroquois Beach canteen building. Fire calls at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 3.
One fire occurred at the Iroquois Beach, specifically the canteen and washroom building with SDFES responding at approximately 5:30 a.m. A second fire was reported as well, this one at the former canteen building on the Iroquois Locks property. No injuries have been reported for either fire and both fires were brought under control relatively quickly.
Both fires are being treated as suspicious in nature. The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal (OFM), SDFES, and O.P.P. attended, secured the scene and are currently investigating. The community was requested to avoid these areas so as not to impede the investigators as they completed their work. Further details will be shared as appropriate once the investigation is complete.
The buildings at both locations were secured, and the Iroquois Beach was reopened later in the day.
A break-in at a similar facility was also reported in the early morning hours of September 3rd, this one in Edwardsburg-Cardinal, at the waterfront canteen and public washroom facilities. The Township reports that significant damage was sustained by both the men’s and women’s washrooms, the canteen window and recently installed security cameras. Due to the extent of the damage, both washrooms were temporarily unavailable.
These incidents, as well as the fires earlier in the week at the Iroquois Beach Canteen and Matilda Memorial Park storage shed remain under investigation.
Anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in these areas or notice anything unusual in the days ahead, are asked to please report it, either by calling the O.P.P. non-emergency: 1-888-310-1122 or Crimestoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS. If you see a crime in progress, call 911.
Terry Tinkess is a professional photographer, educator and journalist. He has been making a living with a camera and keyboard since 1999 and has been featured in such publications as The Ottawa Citizen, Cornwall Standard Freeholder, The Globe and Mail, The Miami Herald, Ottawa Construction News, The Ontario Construction Report, Ontario Home Builder Magazine, Reed Construction Data, Canadian Potato Business and most recently, The Record and Eastern Ontario AgriNews. Terry lives in Morrisburg, Ontario with his wife Brenda, Mia the anxious Pittie and cat Chubbers.
