Fire at Victoria Mustard Seed halts operations
A small fire at the Mustard Seed location near downtown Victoria has caused the food bank to close its doors Monday.
The fire occurred in an entranceway of the 625 Queens Ave. facility early Monday morning, according to Colleen Sparks, Mustard Seed director of development.
Firefighters quickly dealt with the flames, but the extent of the smoke damage in the building is unknown.
Victoria Fire Chief Daniel Atkinson says 17 firefighters and six apparatus responded to the fire.
"Preliminary investigation indicates the fire began outside the structure and extended to the interior," he said.
A restoration team is assessing the building to see if it's safe to re-enter, and what effects there may be on food donations.
The cause of the fire and damage estimates are still being determined Monday, according to Atkinson.
"We're having a hygienist come through the restoration company to let us know about the food here," said Sparks.
"Whether or not the food that we have here on site is still safe to be handed out, or whether or not we have to bring new food over and, unfortunately, throw out the food we have here," she said.
No one was injured in the fire.
The Mustard Seed location will be closed for the remainder of Monday, and may be closed for the next several days. The timeline is unclear since the assessment is still underway, says Sparks.
In the meantime, the Mustard Seed is considering using the parking lot of the Victoria location to temporarily operate out of.
"We're going to try to expedite the repairs at the end of the building that's farthest from the fire so we can use that as a space," added Sparks.
She says the Victoria Mustard Seed will be unable to accept new food donations Monday, and likely the next few days, as it responds to the fire.
"We appreciate donations, but today's not the day," she said.
"I think I would just want the community to hope the best for us to get up and running as quickly as possible," said Sparks.
"We'll be working as hard as we can to get ourselves up and open in the next few days as quickly as possible," she said. "We thank the community for all the support over the years."
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.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.