Birthdays, anniversaries and other entertaining events were hosted in the room over the years. If these events were not filling the room with cheer, residents and staff would enjoy their daily meals there, over the din of idle chatter, the swapping of family pictures and the reliving of memories.

Now, memories are all the residents have left as a large part of the Utterson building, including the dining room and kitchen, was demolished Sunday night by fire.

According to a press release and information provided at a Monday morning press conference at Huntsville town hall, the fire department received a call at 10:50 p.m. reporting of fire at the retirement residence.

Huntsville/Lake of Bays fire chief Steve Hernen said when fire crews arrived on the scene, they found two officers with the Hamilton police assisting staff evacuating the 56 residents. The two officers were passing by on Hwy. 11 when they noticed flames coming from the corner of the building and came to help.

“They were travelling through our community for a prisoner exchange and they were the first two to observe the fire from the highway. They were a tremendous help to us and the staff in the evacuation,” Hernen said.

He said that standard response for a retirement home is to call out for two stations and both Huntsville and Port Sydney stations responded.

“Shortly after we arrived we called out for additional resources through Lake of Bays, so we brought in three more stations. We called in Bracebridge to send a crew and that crew was to provide back assistance in town, but they ended up on-site as well.”

Hernen said nearly 80 firefighters, with 14 pieces of equipment worked to handle the fire. He said it appears the fire originated in the dining room-kitchen area, adding that although it is too early to speculate, the matter does not look suspicious.

“The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time. We feel there might have been electrical or mechanical failure on the roof structure above the dining area. That is where our investigation will be looking into.”

No one was injured in the blaze, Hernen stated, a tribute to the staff’s commitment to its emergency response plans.

“The very fact that staff was able to safely evacuate all 56 residents in the middle of the night without so much as even a twisted ankle speaks volumes for their professionalism and dedication,” he said. “If the staff was not as prepared as they were, this would have been a tragic event.”

Donna Kingelin, the chief operating officer of Revera Inc., the management company for Rowanwood, echoed that notion. “We are really thankful to our staff because they acted very quickly. They were very professional and we are very proud of them.”

She said she wanted to thank the community for its assistance in helping the residents. “People were stopping on the street to come and help our residents get out of the building.”

One such person who stopped to give assistance was Ken Mercer. He and a friend were returning from Toronto in separate vehicles after picking up their children following a college trip to Virginia when they spotted the blaze coming at around 11:15 p.m.

“I couldn’t believe the fire coming from the dining hall. It was a very, very heavy fire. It was very traumatic to see that.”

Mercer said the two families immediately stopped their vehicles and ran to help in any way they could.

“At this point there wasn’t a lot of fire trucks there yet. Our families pitched in to help with the evacuation. For a difficult situation I thought things went very smoothly. It was a community that seemed to know exactly what to do and people just went to work and did their job.”

He said his teenage boys went in, knocked on doors and got people out of their rooms at the safe end of the building.

“The firefighters just double-checked the evacuation process to make sure everyone was out. I wouldn’t have called it chaotic. I would have called it very organized. I was very impressed with our community.”

As for the residents, Kingelin said all but four are staying at Hidden Valley Resort. The remaining four residents are currently in hospital for precautionary measures due to smoke inhalation.

“They are fine and will be going to Hidden Valley within the next couple of days. We are set up there and (Hidden Valley) has allowed us to stay there for the next three to four weeks so we can look for a place for our residents. We are working on that diligently. All the families have been notified and many have been in to visit the residents as of this morning,” she said Monday.

Colin Morrison is the regional director for Sequel Hotels and Resort Properties, which owns Hidden Valley Resort. He said that when the call came in Sunday night, he and his staff went into action.

“We are part of the Huntsville disaster plan for quite some time as a place which will offer its services. When we got the call, the staff jumped into action and made it all happen.”

Morrison said rooms were set aside on the main level to accommodate the residents with limited mobility. Thirty-five rooms are presently in use, although he said that number might change in the days to come as family members are taking some of their residents home with them until a more permanent situation can be found.

In the meantime, the resort is allowing the residents and Rowanwood staff to stay there for the next few weeks until decisions about their future are made. Morrison said Rowanwood staff continues to do their jobs in caring for the residents, despite the change in venue.

“It is quite harmonious. We are not used to dealing with the needs of the elderly. Their staff is making sure they are taking care of their people. Everything seems to be moving along as it would in the normal course of the day at the home. Our staff is helping any way they can,” he said.

As for the payment for the rooms, Morrison said that Sequel and Revera Inc. are in talks about that issue. However, he said that money is the furthest thing from anyone’s mind in recent days.

“Quite frankly, the dollars and cents are secondary at this point. What is most important is taking care of the people.”

Ambulances and other emergency vehicles were used to transport the residents to the resort and the hospital.

Mercer was one volunteer who drove one of the vehicles transporting the residents to Hidden Valley. It was an experience he soon won’t forget.

“It was troubling. There were elderly people who pulled themselves together very well for the moment but when we got to Hidden Valley the reality of the situation hit home. Many of them realized they were without a home and wondered where they were to go next without clothes.”

After a fitful night of sleep fuelled by adrenalin and empathy for the residents’ plight, Mercer set about to see what could be done to assist the now homeless people.

He went to Zellers to see if they would sell him some underclothes for the residents at a reduced cost. They said no to his proposal for a lower rate.

“They sent me away with around $350 worth of underwear and I didn’t pay a dime for it,” he said.

In the meantime, plans are in the works to secure and move necessary equipment to the resort to allow Rowanwood staff to continue caring for the residents.

“It is a very devastating time for us, but we are really pleased with the response from the fire department, the community and the staff, for all they have done from the residents,” Kingelin said.

Hernen said that while some of the building was not touched in the blaze, the structure has been deemed a total loss, estimated to be around $4 million. Firefighters were rummaging through the burnt ruins of the building Monday morning in attempts to locate any hot spots that might still be burning.

“The Ontario Fire Marshal’s (OFM) office has been called and they will assist the fire department in determining the cause,” Hernen said.

He said OFM officials may be on-site for two to three days, adding that he doesn’t think an answer will be forthcoming within the next two weeks.

Donations are currently being dropped off at HV Hidden Valley Resort (789-2301). A bank account is expected to be set up at one of the local branches this week. Check www.huntsvilleforester.com for more details.

Those wishing to find out about loved ones at Rowanwood are asked to call (705) 571-2487 and ask for Sally.