135-year-old Tay Township church burns to the ground
A historic church in Tay Township was destroyed by fire Monday morning.
Crews arrived on the scene just after 4 a.m. to find the 135-year-old Ebenezer United Church engulfed.
"We arrived on scene to a fully involved structure fire and started a defensive attack to being with," said Tay Township fire chief Shawn Aymer. "Unfortunately, in the end, we had to bring in an excavator to make it safe for our crews to do final extinguishment."
Marian Swales has been going to the church since she was a child and caught the flames on camera.
"When I got the phone call, I couldn't believe it, and I went, and I saw it," said Swales. "I still can't believe it. We watched it burn. It's really a sad day to lose a building like that and all of our fond memories that we still have."
Chairperson for the church, Lorraine Hook, said the fire is devastating and much of what was lost is irreplaceable.
"The old records we can not [replace], some of our older members have their marriage on record at this church, and we have lost that, we don't have that now," said Hook.
The church's former minister, David Black, was also on the scene Monday surveying the damage.
Black spent seven years leading the church.
"I'm in shock that it has happened," he said. "The people in this area are resilient, and they will find other locations or places that they can continue to serve their faith."
Members of the church said they are looking for a possible location for services in the short term.
As for the long run, they said it's too early to determine if they will go ahead with some kind of rebuild.
Damage is estimated at just over $500,000.
The fire is not considered suspicious.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
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.
'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.
$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.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
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.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.