BARRIE -- It's been nearly four years since a suspicious fire reduced the century-old Feed Service Mill in Alliston to ashes.
"We lost 21 years of everything," says mill owner Peter Dockerty.
Aaron Gareau was arrested more than a year after the destructive fire and faces charges of arson and mischief endangering life.
The now 26-year-old claims they got the wrong man. "People are saying I'm guilty, and I'm trying to prove myself innocent. Got to wait for the show to end, right?" As he walked into the Bradford courthouse wearing a Blue Jays toque and dark sunglasses, Gareau continued to declare his innocence. "I did not burn down the Alliston Feed Mill."
Meanwhile, Dockerty says he just wants closure.
He and his family picked up the pieces after the devastating fire and started a new business, The Mill Market, selling local food products.
Dockerty admits the court process brings back the pain of what he and his family lost. "You try to move on from this... but when something like this comes up in court, and you're four years after the fact... it's like rewatching a part of yourself that died, and you're watching yourself die all over again."
Still haunted by the night his life's work went up in flames, Dockerty admits he and his family have been financially and emotionally drained.
"Life will never be the same," he says the aftermath of the destruction is forever seared into his memory. "I realized that part of my life is closed."
Fifteen employees also lost their jobs after the fire.
Following the preliminary hearing, the judge will determine if there is enough evidence against Gareau to proceed with a trial.
- With files from CTV's Mike Arsalides
