It’s been over two years since a thick blanket of smoke filled Kenora’s downtown core as emergency responders were on the scene of a major fire at the Clarion Lakeside Inn.
Manager Jimmy Koo had previously said the Clarion would be closed for ‘a couple of months’ after the fire, and signage around the community has stated the 80-room hotel was aiming to reopen by the summer of 2022.
But now, Director Gary Lei has confirmed in an interview with Q104 and KenoraOnline that the Clarion is now aiming to reopen its doors by the summer of 2023.
“So far, they just started the renovation. Hopefully, if everything goes smoothly, we’ll be done by 2023. Roughly May. Beginning of the summer,” said Lei.
Lei notes fire, smoke and water damage have forced a complete renovation of the building.
“There’s nothing. [We have to replace] everything,” he adds.
In the early afternoon of January 17, 2020, thick black smoke plumed through Kenora’s downtown core as multiple 9-1-1 calls reported smoke coming from the Clarion Lakeside Inn.
Six fire trucks, an aerial truck, a rescue truck and close to 30 firefighters with the Kenora Fire and Emergency Service responded to the scene, helping to ensure that no injuries were reported. Between 20 and 30 guests were staying at the hotel that day, who got transferred to the Travelodge for the night.
Former Kenora Fire Chief Todd Skene previously confirmed the fire had started underneath the building before engulfing a vehicle in the parking lot, but the cause of the fire remains under investigation by Ontario’s Fire Marshall.
Of note, members of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Canada’s Grey Cup were also within the hotel at the time of the fire, as they were touring and visiting students in Kenora. Thankfully, Blue Bomber Fullback John Rush grabbed and saved the cup on his way out of the building.
Clarion staff members were laid off after the fire and the hotel’s closure in early 2020.
