HONEYMOON SUITE, RIK EMMETT Escape Barrie Fire Unharmed
December 7, 2007, 16 years ago
Last night (Thursday, December 6th) HONEYMOON SUITE and RIK EMMETT (TRIUMPH) were scheduled to play at the Random Ranch in Barrie, Ontario - however the show was disrupted by a massive fire that tore through the historic downtown core.
BW&BK; was sent the following report from the Honeymoon Suite camp: "Part way through their set they were forced to stop playing and evacuate due to the massive fire. Emmett never even took the stage. No one in either band was hurt and I think all the fans got out unharmed as well. Apparently HS lost some gear in the fire. Not sure how much of the club, if anything, is left standing."
"It is a loss of a great landmark to Barrie," Mayor Dave Aspden told the National Post.
No deaths or serious injuries were reported. Residents of apartments above the restaurant escaped unharmed, although one man said that he lost two pets in the fire, a cat and a bird.
The Salvation Army helped about 50 people forced from their homes by the fire find shelter in churches and hotels, Aspden said.
Barrie on Lake Simcoe in Ontario was a major 19th century transportation link for portage between Lake Simcoe and Lake Huron and later as a train stop. The city was also at the end of an Underground Railroad route for escaped slaves from the United States.
