‘Extensive’ damage at Stoney Creek pet store delays reopening

The owner of a Stoney Creek fish and pet store says it is taking longer than expected to reopen after being badly damaged by a fire last month.

The Roua plus Food Mart in the plaza at 140 Centennial Pkwy. North caught fire on Feb. 12, at around 3:30 a.m..

Hamilton Fire Chief David Cunliffe said that no one was injured from the fire, but the food mart and adjacent units, including Big Al’s Hamilton Pet Supercentre, had sustained significant water and smoke damage.

Cunliffe said that the damage to the unit and adjacent units is estimated to be in excess of $2 million.

Hamilton police had later deemed the fire to be suspicious and began an investigation.

No humans were reported injured, but the fire had caused the death of a number of fish at the pet store, but most animals in the were taken out safely.

A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $65,000 for the health and care of those animals.

Mario Visca, who owns the pet store, posted on social media that the wall next to where the fire started needed to be replaced.

He said the repair impacts a substantial portion of the store and “must be addressed properly before we can move forward with rebuilding that section.”

“Every piece of affected inventory, shelving, wood, and porous material must be replaced to ensure a clean and safe environment for our animals, staff, and customers,” said Visca in the post.

The post further says that while the wall is being replaced, Visca plans to reopen half the store first.

“We will reopen. It is simply taking longer than any of us hoped,” said Visca in the post.

WATCH MORE: Stoney Creek plaza fire deemed suspicious by Hamilton police, $2M in damages