From historic landmark to ruins: ‘suspicious’ fire destroys union hall; significant records lost in blaze

BY BILL BRADLEY

The recent fire at the 61-year-old Steelworkers Union Hall on Frood Road is suspicious in nature, said police Monday morning at police headquarters.

Greater Sudbury Police, Greater Sudbury Fire Department and Ontario Fire Marshall’s Office representatives, held a press conference outlining their case for the fire to be suspicious in origin. Forensic examination of the scene and objects retrieved is underway.

“The fire is suspicious because of the time of the event, 2 a.m., the fact no one was present in the building, and because of what the first fire services responders told police, said Inspector Bob Keetch.

Neither Keetch, nor Dan Stack, acting deputy fire chief, would elaborate on those comments by fire personnel.
Furthermore, the exact origin of the fire is unsafe to reach at this time, they said.

“To determine the exact cause of the fire we need safe access to where it started and we do not have that condition at this moment,” said Keetch.

The fire occurred at approximately 2:15 a.m. Friday morning and was not put out until Saturday morning. Police refused to say exactly where the fire started, as that might compromise the investigation, said Keetch.

The Criminal Division of the Greater Sudbury Police services is still investigating the scene and are guarding the site. City streets bordered by Frood Road, College Street, Adie Street and Lansdowne Avenue in Sudbury are still being restricted from public access.

The examination of the building by investigators is being complicated by the extensive damage that was caused to the structure as a result of the fire.

The fire burned for 26 hours. There were 22 men on-site fighting the blaze, said Stack.

Because of the nature of the building, where additions had been made over the years, the fire was hard to vanquish.
“We thought we had it contained but there were many additions and parts of the building that, when they were opened up, started on fire again. That is why the fire seemed to stop and start and was so stubborn to fully control,” said Stack.

Potential release of toxins in the smoke from the fire were decreased by water spray on the building, said Stack.
Mike Potvin from the Ontario Fire Marshall’s office said he was unsure how long his investigation would take.

“It could be a week or two or much longer. Having testing done by forensic labs can take months,” said Potvin.

Kevin Conley, treasurer for Local 6500 Steelworkers, said the extent of the loss of files is unknown at present.

“We can see our filing cabinets through the open walls. I suspect they have water damage. We are denied access due to safety concerns. Our collection of union newspapers from as far back as 1964 was in a filing cabinet beside a stairwell and that was rescued by fire personnel. For that we are forever grateful,” said Conley.

Conley said he appreciated the support given by Vale Inco.

“Fred Stanford dropped by Friday morning on his way to the airport to see the damage for himself. We appreciated that.”

Conley said businesses all over town were calling to offer what help they could give. The union expects to be housed in temporary accommodations shortly. Many of the files were backed up electronically and it will be business as usual once again, he said.

Ontario NDP Leader Howard Hampton also indicated his sympathy for the union.

“(We) are saddened to hear about the extensive damage caused by fire at the Steelworkers Hall on Frood Road in Sudbury... The hall has special meaning for Sudbury New Democrats who saw it as a home away from home,” said Hampton in a release.

“On a personal note, it was a place where Shelley (Martel) and I spent our Saturday nights. The hall became a second home for our children, Sarah and Jonathon ... The fire also represents a tremendous loss for our brothers and sisters at the United Steelworkers. It is tragic to think of all the memorabilia and records that have been lost,” he said.
Greater Sudbury Police are asking anyone with information about this incident to contact police at 675-9171 or Crime Stoppers at 675-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). A reward of $1,000 is being guaranteed for information on those responsible for the fire.