The Main Street Mall was almost completely destroyed by fire today. The blaze began early in the morning around 1 a.m. and was still burning during daylight hours. As of this writing, the fire is under control but officials were worried about "hot spots" and secured the area to prevent entry by curious onlookers.
Today I had planned to take some photos of the rubble to post here, but I was denied entry. Citing safety concerns, (and likely for investigative purposes) it may be days before the area is re-opened. I'm sure many of you who have spent many memorable hours in this area are curious to see just how bad the damage is. I'll do my best to post images as soon as I'm allowed to re-enter the area.
For anyone who isn't exactly sure where the Beach Mall is, I've included these photos. The pedestrian mall is located at the entrance of Beach Area One and visible from the Main Street Bridge. It consists mostly of bikini stores, an arcade, the Georgian Inn restaurant, rude/funny t-shirts, head shop offerings, discount (cheap looking) clothing, beach toys, a tattoo/body piercing joint and other seasonal stores. All of the stores are closed at this time of year, so thankfully there are no injuries.
The facade of the Beach Mall has existed almost unchanged since about the 1930's. I can't confirm the exact date but if you compare these two photos, you'll see that the only difference is that the stores used to function as Wasaga Beach's year round downtown rather than the seasonal businesses that we are used to seeing in that walking mall today.
The popular night spots Beach Bananas and the Dard were unaffected by the fire (so I'm told) but much about this event is still not public so I cannot say definitively that smoke or embers did not make their way that far. I do know that people who live within blocks of the blaze were able to see flames and smoke and were concerned enough to self-evacuate.
It is important to note that the official cause of the blaze has not yet been determined but within the community, tongues are already wagging. Was it arson? Was it a grow-op gone bad? Either of these scenarios will find supporters. What has been quietly whispered by locals for months now may turn out to be a story bigger than the fire itself.
So why do these rumours abound?
The Beach Mall is an area that is completely closed at this time of year. Most of the businesses do not have heat or hydro during the off season. A few years ago, the arcade was the scene of a fairly large grow-op. I can't recall exactly how many plants were there, but it was a few. Talk about a heat score! In a building which is supposed to be vacant, the heat that was coming from the grow-op must have melted all of the snow; exactly what law enforcement would be looking for to determine if suspicious activity was happening. I spoke to another resident today who insisted that a grow-op had re-appeared in the Main Street Mall but he offered no particular evidence to that end. (editors note: Please read this article as this above paragraph contains errors in fact)
The second and most often uttered rumour is that of arson. Rumours have a way of growing legs rather quickly in this town and by 9:00 a.m., I was already hearing from locals who claim that the town's "oracle" had predicted that a fire would happen in that area before January 2008. The oracle in question is a local business owner who at times makes cynical remarks which amusingly enough tend to be correct much of the time. But where does this cynicism originate?
The new development which was unveiled for the Beach Area One area is impressive in scale. If it happens as presented, the main beach as we know it; with all of its tacky and kitschy shops, will cease to exist. In its place, a large, upscale development similar to what was done in the Town of the Blue Mountains by Intrawest will forever change our reputation as a party-till-you-puke destination. Instead, we'll be enjoying big name hotels with 4 or 5 star amenities, restaurants, quality shopping and more. Sounds great, but many in Wasaga Beach are having trouble believing it.
The problem from the perspective of some, especially within the business community, is rumours. Rumours of unpaid bills, rumours of projects started but never finished, and rumours of plans that cannot be realized. The rumours are based on the suspicion that something else is happening here besides a legitimate development. It's an "I'll believe it when I see it" mentality that isn't going to go away until a large hotel opens its doors for the public.
It doesn't help that so much secrecy surrounds development in Wasaga Beach. Where is the money coming from for such a large project? Who exactly are these developers? Who are the investors? What have they done in the past that is similar in scale to what they are proposing here? And, why are there rumours of unpaid bills? How do such things get started?
There were no rumours surrounding the Intrawest Development because everyone is aware of their track record. They have completed successful tourist developments that can be held up to scrutiny. But this development has caused anxiety with many because there is little information about the investors/developers to give them confidence. In short, it's a public relations disaster. Most people I've spoken to believe that the Beach Mall was already bought up by the developers, but today I am told, some of the sales have not been closed. How can a large scale development be unveiled before the land is even theirs to develop? It's these sorts of inconsistencies that cause the widespread misinformation, mistrust and public anxiety. It's a recipe for gossip.
The fire has not only gutted one of Wasaga Beach's only historic areas, but it will do further damage to the confidence of this community as the grapevine grows more limbs. Even if this inferno turns out to be the result of a grow-op, or some other incendiary cause, the arson whispers will still prevail. The people of Wasaga Beach would like to believe in these developers but with details of the project being held like cards so close to their chest, only time will tell all this back-fence chatter contains even a kernel of truth.
Darlene Watters is the author, editor and publisher of Day At The Beach. She also operates the wasaga.com web site. Views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author alone, and do not represent the official positions of any organization or company who advertises on this website
