Monkton residents hope burned down landmark will be rebuilt
Cherie Smith could hardly believe her eyes as one of Monkton’s landmarks burned right in front of her.
“There was maybe 15 minutes of flames and then the backhoe was here bringing it down. It was really emotional,” said the Monkton resident.
Smith and Sandra Machan both grew up in Monkton and both worked at the former Red Maple Hotel and Dining Lounge in their 20s. Seeing it go up in flames, last Monday, was hard to believe.
“It was a large part of our community here in Monkton. It was a place to go, to hang out with friends. A place to go with family for a nice, decent meal. It’s one of the things you hope to never see happen, but it did,” said Machan, who still calls the Monkton area home.
It took over 30 firefighters from five Perth and Huron County stations several hours to bring the fire under control on Nov. 21.
Fire officials don’t know what started the blaze, in the now unoccupied building, that most recently housed an antiques store.
But what’s left behind is bringing back bittersweet memories for locals of what was once, the Red Maple Hotel, the heart of the community.
Remnants of Red Maple Hotel following a Nov. 21 fire. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)“Sandra’s dad was a regular. I can still see him sitting at the bar, watching the TV. Don’t touch his TV. It was the hub of the community, really,” said Smith.
While they don’t have any say on what happens to the private property, locals are hopeful something can be built to replace the iconic building.
If nothing else, they hope the mess left behind from November’s fire, can be cleaned up as quickly, as possible.
“It’s a devastating loss and to have to look out the window everyday and see it. It’d be nice if it got cleaned up so we didn’t have to see it,” Smith added.
“It would be nice if it could actually become another tavern, but I mean, time will tell,” said Machan.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.