Page 12 - Presbyterian Connection

12
PRESBYTERIAN
SUMMER 2023
presbyterian.ca
Fire at St. Andrew’s Barrie
Ellen Millar inspecting fire damage at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Barrie, Ont.
the kitchen to community spaces, where she saw banners celebrat- ing anniversaries and church-year events. That was one instance when the loss hit her personally.
“I helped make a Noah’s Ark banner when I was in youth group. It was discarded.” Ellen ex- plained that all textiles, especially the church’s extensive collection of seasonal and commemorative banners, were lost. “It was sad.”
Barrie Police laid an arson charge in relation to the fire. Se- curity footage showed the Alco- holics Anonymous group that rented space on Sunday nights locking up. An hour later, secu- rity footage showed a man leav- ing by the rear parking lot door and, shortly after, flames erupting from the library—the hub where teams planned their work, includ- ing sponsoring refugees.
“It could have been much, much worse,” said Mark Hoff- man, chair of the Board of Man- agers, noting that there were no injuries. Keeping the media in- formed, Mark explained how the fire started in the library and that the damage—water, soot, smoke and fire crew work—spread to the rest of the Christian Educa- tion wing. The business continu- ity/crisis management specialist worked with insurance adjusters and contractors and analyzed reports and estimates to ensure numbers being discussed were accurate and fair. He ensured the church responded appropriately to the City of Barrie’s Order to Remedy.
He also explained the com- plexities of insurance to the con- gregation, which still must decide whether to take a settlement from the insurance company or restore the Christian Education wing. He added it wasn’t until September 2022 when St. Andrew’s Barrie required groups renting space to provide a certificate of insurance. He was grateful for the policy change that will allow the church to make a claim against AA’s $5-million liability coverage. He’s committed to pursuing that claim.
“Establish very early on with any outside groups who use your church what your expectations are—things like clearing and se- curing the building. Ensure liabil- ity insurance is in place and keep an insurance certificate on file,” he recommends.
“Consider providing secu- rity and pass that cost onto the groups,” Hoffman added, knowing that many community groups have limited funds. “With $2.5 million in damages later, this is impor tant to
consider. You have to enter into this as a business would.”
Ellen Millar agreed taking a business-like approach is helpful. A key strategy is to maintain an inventory of assets, so that when a claim has to be made, there’s good information. “People don’t think of the church as a business, but we should apply business techniques, like inventorying your space and taking photographs,” she noted. “When people make appraisals, think more than mon- etary value.”
Human resources—the skills, training and experience that peo- ple bring—are also impor tant. At St. Andrew’s, the congregation includes an engineer, a retired businessman who has experience with a fire in his business, and a business continuity specialist with crisis communications training.
“Inventory the skills people bring tothetable,”Ellensuggested.
It likely won’t be until autumn before the congregation can re- gain access to the sanctuary. The congregation is worshipping in the chapel of a nearby funeral home, started by a long-time el- der of St. Andrew’s. The chapel can easily hold the 100 people or so who attend worship. Un- fortunately, there’s no fellowship space there, so the Rev. Joanne Lee offers a fellowship time Fri- day mornings at a nearby United church where St. Andrew’s of- fices have relocated.
“In any grief-related situations, family and friends need to come together. I often think of Acts 2:42–47,” she said. “We may not do everything as stated but one thing that’s certain is we come together for fellowship. Folks, if they are in the area, can drop by to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea or just pop in to say hello. We can’t miss out on Marlene’s homemade signature shortbread cookies or her oatmeal Rice Krispies cookies.” About 20 peo- ple attend on Fridays.
Fire damage in the library.
The congregation must con- sider what to do with the addition built in the 1920s. Constructed on sandy soil in Barrie’s city core, St. Andrew’s has been struggling with what to do with its building for decades.
“In the ‘70s, you had to spend money to push out the walls. It was good for 30 years. The el- evator couldn’t go in the Christian Education wing because it was sinking in three corners,” recalled the Rev. Keith Boyer, who was in- volved in a redevelopment com- mittee that saw its results shelved due to cost.
Keith noted there’s a blessing in the fire. The sandy soils in Bar- rie’s downtown core have chal- lenged St. Andrew’s previously. Ongoing construction, which now involves pile driving, continues to shake the sandy soils.
“It’s time to rethink what we’re about. We’re gifted this fire. Something God sends is not a destroying fire but a refining fire, a gift for us to become better and all we’re called to be.”
By Laurie Watt, Communications Coordinator, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Barrie, Ont.
Two months after the mid-Feb- ruary fire that devastated the Christian education wing at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Barrie, Ont., Ellen Millar still tears up as she recalls sorting through the debris.
The life-long member of St. Andrew’s was the most qualified person to assess what remained in terms of contents after a $2.5-million fire, which was at- tributed to arson. The blaze broke out the Sunday night of Family Day Weekend, and what it didn’t consume it left covered in soot or partially charred, including some historical items.
Ellen, an archivist for Sim- coe County, was profession-
Music director Anne Arksey and of- fice administrator Rosemary Walton at the Friday fellowship time.
ally qualified to deal with what remained, but seeing what had been destroyed and what needed to be assessed was emotionally draining. Ellen attended Sunday school, Brownies and Guides, and youth group at St. Andrew’s. It was where her family invested a lot of time and energy, as her father served many years as the Clerk of Session, as well as being the congregation’s historian.
“It was tough,” she said. “Smoke was hanging in the air and there was grit in my eyes. There was soot everywhere. I went into emergency professional role. My archives training included emergency disaster planning and recovery. I was trying to maintain a professional demeanour.”
Anything that contained plastic or was contained in plastic had to immediately be thrown out—in- cluding dozens of mittens, hats, scarves and socks donated by the community for the Women’s Missionary Society’s Little Winter Warmers Tree.
Anything that touched food in the commercial-grade kitchen, from which charity meals were served, also had to be discarded. China and glassware collected over the years was suddenly of no value.
“It took us 174 years to accu- mulate this stuff and I knew we’d not be replacing it all at once, and some of it wouldn’t be replaced.”
Ellen’s attention turned from
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