Orléans business owners  are making the tough decisions about what to do next after their businesses were destroyed by a fire this spring.

Ottawa Fire says eight businesses were damaged or destroyed after a large fire at a strip mall at 2095 St. Joseph Blvd. on March 31st. Officials says only minor injuries were reported. Paramedics say no one was taken to hospital. Damages were estimated at a couple million dollars.

Dee Canares' shop, Flowermania, was one of the damaged businesses.

“Before I was so nervous, like panicking,” says Canares.

She says she wanted to make sure she could be open for Mothers’ Day. So she worked hard to make a makeshift flower shop inside what was left of her store.

“Even though as you can see we are still in renovations and I have my customers coming and asking what happened,” she says.  

A few doors down, George and Sons Upholstery has decided to pack up and relocate to a new building.

A post on their Facebook page says, “We have leased a new place not far from our original home at 250 Centrum Blvd unit #111. We need a few weeks to fit out the place in order for Jill, George and Sara to be able to work there but we hope to open our doors in Orleans again by May. Not sure what date yet - stay tuned.”

But there are some stores that have had to close for good leaving some customers with questions.

Precious Ones is a consignment store in the strip mall. There was a letter from the insurance company posted on the door stated it would not cover the stock in the store.

But loyal customer Amy Beaudoin wants to hear the news from the owner directly, “People have tried through google trying to ask questions to the business with no answer, trying to send messages directly to the business, there is nothing on the store door from the owner herself.”

She says she took her daughter’s clothes there for 8 years and wants to know what will happen with those items. “People would say, there was a fire what do you need? But when you have had loyalty with a local company for 8 years, you obviously care,” Beaudoin says.

CTV News has reached out to Precious Ones, and has not heard back.