Fire destroys former Leamington landmark but can’t extinguish memories

Article content

A fire that reduced a shuttered Leamington restaurant to rubble last week has failed to extinguish the memories of many happy gatherings there, says its former owner.

Paula Ouellette, who owned and operated Paula’s Fish Place on Point Pelee Drive for 28 years until its closure a year and a half ago, said she’s received an outpouring of support following the early morning blaze April 1.

“Since the fire I’ve had nothing but emails and messages and phone calls with deepest sympathies and terrific, terrific memories … just wonderful things that they were able to remember from it,” Ouellette said.

“My family Christmases were there every year because the restaurant was closed (for the season) so we always hosted. It’s affected everybody within the circle around me.”

Before closing, Ouellette employed 17 at the seasonal restaurant that opened from March to November each year.

It was known for its fish dinners.

Article content

“That was our speciality — fresh Lake Erie yellow perch and pickerel,” she said. “The majority of my employees were with me for 22 of that 28 years.”

Ouellette put the business up for sale four years ago.

“I was getting extremely tired,” she said. “It’s a very demanding business, a 24-hour deal kind of thing, seven days a week. So at that point I was tired. It was time to sell it.”

Leamington farmers Jimmy and Jeanna Simoni purchased the building and property Feb. 25 and were renovating the second-floor apartments for Airbnb vacation rentals.

The restaurant below was being revamped as a snack shack with a “little twist” on a farmers’ market.

“We’re devastated. It was a dream,” Simoni said, adding her husband just sold his farm. “We were working on it as a family so it’s disheartening.

“We were just starting to open everything up.”

Leamington Fire Chief Andrew Baird reported the 911 call came in at about 6 a.m. Thursday.

Baird said it took his crews a couple of hours to get the blaze under control.

“By the time the first fire trucks arrived it was already basically fully engulfed,” Baird said. “It was a total loss.”

Damage is estimated at $700,000. There were no injuries reported.

Baird said the fire marshal was contacted but didn’t attend because the fire didn’t “appear suspicious at the time.”

The cause is undetermined due to the amount of damage, he added.

“The crews did their best. Sorry to see it go,” Baird said. “But hopefully the new owners rebuild something bigger and better.”

Article content

Simoni said they want to rebuild and are working on getting permit approvals from Essex Region Conservation Authority due to the property being in a flood zone.

“I’m trying to be hopeful at this stage,” she said. “When you kind of go through this you feel, you’re devastated, you feel defeated.”

Ouellette, who lives nearby, said it’s very difficult to go by what is now a burnt-out shell of a building. Visible in the ruins of the restaurant is a portion of a mural painted on an interior wall some 18 years ago.

“But other than that, you’ve got some framework on the exterior of the building left that just stayed next to the (cinder) blocks but the rest is all gone,” she said, adding she’s still shocked by the loss but grateful for the memories.

“I’m very, very grateful for the years that I had, for the loyalty that I had from customers and employees. They made my position very easy and enjoyable.”

jkotsis@postmedia.com

twitter.com/KotsisStar