Campbell River car dealership reopens after fire
The owner of a Campbell River, B.C., car dealership is attributing lessons learned through COVID restrictions with helping his staff continue to operate following a recent structure fire.
Scott Kilby is the dealer principal of Campbell River Hyundai, which was hit by fire on Tuesday which started inside a maintenance garage.
"When the firemen came and put out the fire they hit it hard, so water of course seeps through," said Kilby.
"But the main thing is the fire wall stopped the fire from getting past the shop," he said.
Kilby says renovation work will be necessary and the rear of the dealership will need a complete re-build.
He says he's not sure when things will get completely back to normal, and credits his employees with coping through a difficult situation.
"The nice thing about COVID is it taught us how to work remotely," he said.
"Right now nobody's really panicking about curbside sales and working from home and responding to customers via text," he said. "The customers are a lot more used to ordering on the phone and talking to us that way."
Kilby says there were only four vehicles that were fire damaged and believes the newness of the building played a big part in helping firefighters minimize damage.
"Our building was built in 2014/15, so it's literally like brand new," he said. "So the fire codes are all up to snuff and it did what it was supposed to."
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and Kilby says despite the setback the team has still been selling cars and will keep servicing customers.
"Our receptionist is working out of her home and coordinating calls that way, very similar to what we did through COVID," he said.
Kilby says he's also getting cooperation from other businesses.
"The nice thing is one of our neighbouring businesses has offered us some space for our service department to operate out of, like a hoist and a bay."
The dealership owner wants the public to know they're still carrying on business as best they can.
"My team is strong and we're ready to take on the challenge," he said.
"We're going to all stay positive and do the best we can each day."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.