A community is coming together to support the House of Friendship after an under-construction addiction treatment centre went up in flames.
The Ontario Fire Marshal says the circumstances that led to the fire so far seem concerning but there’s still work to be done after Wednesday’s fire.
Crews returned the next day to dig through debris, trying to figure out what happened. In the meantime, Waterloo Region has rallied to help support House of Friendship.
“What has been incredible over the last 24 hours is that people that have supported House of Friendship through the community bond have been calling saying, ‘Is there anything we can do to help?’” says Tim Jackson, CEO of Shad Canada.
He helped fundraise for the $5 million project before it began.
KPMG in Waterloo has also given their services and donated their money—around $10,000 in addition to its annual commitments.
“We want to be the Red Cross to the Red Cross,” says Mary Jo Fedy with KPMG. “They need us now, so it is now time for us to step up.”
The fire is still under investigation, but already House of Friendship’s executive director is looking to the future of reopening.
The building, modelled after another centre in Kitchener, was set to open in July. A new date has not yet been set.
