Jane McKenzie was sitting down for her birthday lunch on Saturday, July 31 when she was told to leave immediately and then walked out of the Old Marina restaurant.
She is one of the last people to dine at the Puslinch establishment before the fire destroyed the building.
“It all happened in the middle of lunch,” McKenzie said.
She said she and her partner were among diners in the packed restaurant when the fire broke out.
“It was absolutely packed and for people to get out so quickly and so calmly. It could have been a lot worse,” McKenzie said.
Everyone was able to leave the restaurant without serious injuries.
Flames could be seen shooting from the windows and the smoke was visible from miles away.
Investigators believe the fire started in the basement and spread quickly.
The initial damage estimate is about $2 million, but officials say that will likely increase once they can get a better assessment.
“We were sitting in the back by the lake, and we were actually taking a picture of Justin Bieber’s house, which we’ve been told is across the lake, and that’s when the lady said we had to leave “, he said. McKenzie.
Hours later, he learned the severity of the fire.
According to a supervisor, staff were so focused on getting everyone out safely that they lost many of their personal items, including wallets, car keys and wallets.
“We were completely oblivious to the danger we were all in. Who knows what would have happened if they hadn’t reacted the way they did,” McKenzie said.
LOST WORKS
With the restaurant reduced to rubble, Old Marine restaurant employees are now looking for work.
Thanks to the generosity of some restaurants, employees may not be out of work for too long.
“I’ve been through this before, waking up and not knowing when you’re going back to work, so I just thought if we could help them, we’d definitely find a place for them until they could come back,” said Sheri Fritzey, CEO of State & Main Guelph.
Others are looking to raise money to help employees recover.
Cambridge neighbors Jacob Ginson and William Coyle have set up a lemonade stand to help people who work at the Old Marina restaurant. (Krista Sharpe/CTV News Kitchener)
Two 11-year-old Cambridge residents, Jacob Ginson and William Coyle, have started a lemonade stand to help people who work at the marina.
“[it’s] to help the people who work at the marina,” Coyle said.
So far the two have raised almost a thousand dollars.
“[It’s] money so they can get groceries and stuff,” Ginson said.
The guys plan to keep their lemonade stand open until Wednesday at 9 p.m.
Their lemonade stand is on Mulberry Drive in Cambridge, and they hope to raise as much money as possible.
Ginson’s family owns property on the lake and both boys are big fans of the restaurant.