Parkdale Food Centre's community pantry damaged by fire
The Parkdale Food Centre's community fridge and pantry are closed this weekend after a fire badly damaged the enclosure providing food for people in the community.
Executive Director Karen Secord says the closure of the fridge and pantry comes at a time when staff are filling it four, five or six times a day.
In a post on Facebook, the Parkdale Food Centre says the Road Runner II and the accompanying pantry outside on Rosemount Avenue was "set on fire" Friday evening.
"This is certainly not the way we'd like to begin the weekend, especially for Neighbours accessing the fridge," the Parkdale Food Centre said.
"A great big shout out to the off duty firefighter who acted quickly, unplugging the fridge, preventing a serious emergency. We are grateful for your Neighbourly spirit."
Secord tells CTV News Ottawa it's believed someone set a book on fire and placed it in the pantry at about 5:40 p.m. Friday.
"Fortunately, an off-duty firefighter spotted the fire before it became an electrical fire and was able to remove the fridge with the help of someone working after-hours at 30 Rosemount," Secord said, adding they ran to the nearby library to get a fire extinguisher.
The enclosure for the community fridge and pantry suffered smoke and water damage, and will remain closed until further notice. The fire did not damage the fridge, which had just been replaced.
Secord says the Parkdale Food Centre will need to use its donations to replace or repair the enclosure, coming at a time when the need for food is high and the cost of produce is expensive.
A report has been filed with the Ottawa Police Service.
The Parkdale Food Centre is a community food bank serving Hintonburg, Mechanicsville and the Civic Hospital areas.
The Road Runner II is located in front of the Parkdale Food Centre at 30 Rosemount Avenue.
"Road Runner will share good food. Kindly remember to take what you need and leave what you can," the Parkdale Food Centre says on its website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.