On the night of Tuesday, May 7, the owners and staff of Stradwicks Carpet One suffered a catastrophic loss as fire ripped through not only their office and inventory but also the heart of a business that the same family has helmed for decades.
See related: Huge structure fire at Stradwick (VIDEO)
And: All hands on deck as fire destroys Stradwicks Carpet One
The close-knit group — a mix of employers and employees — arrived at the scene that evening and huddled together in the dark, illuminated only by the storeys-high flames emanating from the Stradwicks complex across Brule Street. They hugged. Some cried upon seeing the destruction. Some just stared into the wreckage.
Before the calendar flipped to May 8, co-owner Gary James had already decided and told those standing nearby that Stradwicks would survive to see many more days.
"It was reassuring and it was powerful," shared Carmen van Empel, the sales manager at the store, who spoke to BayToday on behalf of Stradwicks at the request of the James family.
"We work for great people, the James family is awesome," van Empel added. "Ralph James (Gary's father and Stradwicks owner) is 93 years old and came to work every day until Covid. It's a family, I know it's a cliché, but we're a family. We're all grieving together. It definitely felt like a huge loss."
Stradwicks Carpet One has not only found a temporary home at 2022 Main St. W — next to the North Bay and District Humane Society — but the team is also proud to share that the local carpet and flooring outfit will be rebuilt and reopened at the same location on Brule Street. It is expected to take about one year to rebuild.
See: Stradwicks blaze 'not suspicious' says Fire Chief Whiteley (VIDEO)
"For now, due to the kindness of a lot of people, we have found a temporary location," van Empel confirmed. "Samples are starting to arrive and we are receiving new inventory to replace what was unfortunately destroyed in the fire. A huge thank you to the community again for all of the support, all of the kind words. We've had nothing but positive feedback, including from our competitors. We thank the contractors who have offered to do anything they can to help. It's been amazing"
As in any major business upheaval, the Stradwicks staff is busy trying to solve problems as they arise.
"We've tried to reach out to all the customers who had pending orders. If we've missed anybody, please call the store phone number and we'd be happy to give them a status on where things are at."
She said the store's staff encountered some roadblocks to getting the office set up and furnished as suppliers questioned them due to the number of desks and computers they ordered but they have since straightened everything out.
The store should be open within days but van Empel said to call ahead in the meantime and someone will assist.
"There are many memories," from the Brule building van Empel added. "All the great people who walked through those doors. The grieving process continues but we're moving forward. That's a hard emotion to put to 'stuff.' At the end of the day, nobody was hurt and our business will come back bigger and better."