Stores, library stay closed after smoke incident

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This article was published 19/12/2024 (537 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandonites looking to frequent the Shoppers Mall during the busy holiday season will continue to have limited access to retail stores and the library housed in the mall as they scramble to fix the damage caused during the smoke incident that occurred on Monday.

Some stores have been temporarily shuttered for the duration of the holidays — either to fix the damage caused during the incident or to finish making the necessary inspections needed to file insurance claims.

Chief among the establishments affected are the branch of Western Manitoba’s Regional Library, which has reported extensive damage to its unit, necessitating a closure until further notice.

“So right now, we are putting in our insurance claim and going through the insurance procedure. We don’t have a solid timeline on when that’s all going to finish and when we’re going to reopen the branch there. We do have damage to our unit, so we’re going to have to do some repairs to the unit itself, in terms of the ceiling, carpet and things like that,” Carson Rogers, the library’s branch supervisor at The Town Centre location on Rosser Avenue, told the Sun.

“We’re just assessing the damage to our material right now, so that’s going to have to go for cleaning, most likely, and then seeing how bad the damage is. We’re in the process of going through the insurance procedures before we’ll have a more clear timeline of when we’re going to reopen at the other branch,” said Rogers, who also noted that while most people have been understanding (about the sudden closure), there are many who are equally frustrated given that it’s the holiday season.

“The patrons that we have that use the other branch are definitely sad to see us have to close under these circumstances. A lot of people rely on that branch for the city, so we’ve definitely had feedback from our patrons over there. It’s unfortunate that they aren’t able to access it, and especially since we can’t give them a timeline. But we are taking holds and reserves from down there and shifting things a little bit down here, so people are still able to pick their books up from from our location,” Rogers explained.

Brandon’s acting city manager and fire Chief Terry Parlow told the Sun the community is currently doing everything it can to help businesses reopen as soon as possible, and as safely as possible.

“With regards to this whole situation, I do believe the Shoppers Mall is working diligently to actually get everything back up and running and doing the best they can. It’s an unfortunate situation, but everybody has been patient and understanding of the situation, I think everybody’s doing the best they can,” said Parlow.

Brandon Chamber of Commerce president Lois Ruston said she understands there is only so much that can be done in the immediate aftermath of such an incident, but she also highlighted the importance of small businesses and their influence as an integral part of Brandon’s economy, especially around the holidays or during a crisis.

“Certainly, small businesses are the backbone of our community, and especially leading up to the holidays, we encourage everyone to support small businesses. I encourage residents to consider supporting local small businesses when they aren’t able to access certain things. We have a fantastic array of small businesses here in Brandon that can definitely help people achieve their holiday shopping list,” Ruston said.

In addition to the aforementioned regional library, the Shoppers Mall Facebook page also confirmed closures for the following stores — Hair Today, Claire’s, The Children’s Place, Scotiabank, Telus, Just Cozy, Country Barnboard, PJ’s & More, which will remain closed until after the holidays.

It also added that the mall has scrapped its annual tradition of visits and pictures with Santa Claus, owing to the damages caused on Monday.

» dstein@brandonsun.com

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