Fairwinds Lodge will be rebuilt: officials

Officials have decided to rebuild the Sarnia seniors’ home devastated in January by a fire that abruptly forced 120 residents to emergency shelter in the middle of the night.

There’s no timeline attached to the reconstruction of the Fairwinds Lodge retirement home, but the Michigan Avenue facility will someday open its doors again, a company spokesperson confirmed on Feb. 15.

“Sabra Health Care REIT, the owners of Fairwinds Lodge, and the Sienna Senior Living management team are committed to ensuring Fairwinds Lodge remains a vibrant part of the Sarnia community,” Nadia Daniell-Colarossi said via email. “We will be rebuilding and are working with external engineers and architects to determine the best way to move forward.”

The blaze broke out shortly after 11 pm on Jan. 15 in the attic of the northeast section of the multi-winged building. An investigation by the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office alongside Sarnia fire inspectors concluded the cause was accidental. No further details were released, although the lead investigator told The Observer they were focusing on electrical components – potentially bathroom ceiling fans – in the attic area of ​​the building, which was constructed in 1999.

Sienna Senior Living officials told residents and their families last month during a virtual town hall meeting there was no guarantee the home would ever reopen and urged them to find new long-term living arrangements.

After spending the night and early morning immediately following the fire in emergency shelter at Lambton College, most residents moved in with family or were temporarily staying at the Sunbridge Hotel and Conference Center in Point Edward.

A company official told residents they would help them find a new seniors’ facility, whether it was owned by them or a different company. He said they’d be given priority placement at Sienna-run homes in London, Windsor and Kitchener-Waterloo at similar rates to what they were previously paying, but acknowledged it wasn’t practical for some to leave Sarnia.

As of Feb. 15, all residents had found new accommodations, but they will still be given first priority to move back in following the rebuild, Daniell-Colarossi said.

“We have communicated with residents that we will stay in touch and provide updates about the reconstruction,” she said.

Most of the belongings that were salvageable have been packed up and moved out, she said.

Many residents were left that night with nothing but the clothes they were wearing and weren’t able to go back inside amid the evacuation, which involved dozens of area firefighters, including a crew from Port Huron, Mich., paramedics and police. A community-run donation drive of essential items and clothing was held for the displaced seniors at Community of Christ Church in Sarnia while they waited to find out when – or in some cases, if – they could get their belongings back.

“Being a part of the incredible community in Sarnia is a source of pride, and we are grateful for the many partnerships we have throughout the city,” Daniell-Colarossi said.