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Fire Guts Wonderland Gardens

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#1 ·
:eek2: The dance hall at Wonderland Gardens, built 70 years ago for about 18 thousand dollars, was destroyed by a fire that began early Monday afternoon ( Aug 29th). It was empty at the time, so no one was hurt. The neighbouring bandshell and restaurant escaped the flames.
Officials think the fire may have started in the kitchen and utlility area. A city employee had been ithere only 15 minutes earlier to turn on ventilation fans, something he'd also done 6 weeks ago. He says the only thing different this time was that he turned on an exhaust fan as well. An electrical short is suspected, but it will be up to fire inspectors to determine the cause. They will be on the scene Tuesday, August 30th.

The fire department used 3 pumper trucks, a rescue truck, and brought in 3 relief trucks to battle the blaze which sent thick smoke skyward that could be seen several kilometres away. Fire crews also sprayed neighbouring trees to keep the flames from spreading into the nearby park area. Other officials kept a growing crowd of onlookers at a distance from the conflagration.

Damage is estimated at about half a million dollars.
 
#2 ·
'Like a house of cards'

An investigator at the Wonderland Gardens site said they have not ruled out a suspicious cause, a 'typical' move for a fire of such magnitude. Today may provide some answers, he said.
APRIL KEMICK, Free Press Reporter 2005-08-31 02:05:05





A day after the $1-million fire that razed the historic Wonderland Gardens dance hall, the cause remained a mystery to fire officials who are treating it as suspicious.

As investigators sifted through the wreckage yesterday for clues to what sparked Monday's blaze, Londoners flocked to the site to reminisce over the Garden's glory days.

But one face was noticeably absent from the melancholy throng -- that of Chuck Jones, former president of the Gardens, who said he deliberately avoided the site where he spent much of his childhood and adult life.

"I didn't want to come back to town," Jones said, his voice cracking with emotion.

"To see it boarded up just ate away at me, and to see it like this, in rubble, would be very difficult for me."

Deputy fire Chief Dave Kitterman said the building was devastated by the fire.

"There's a lot of twisted metal and wreckage," he said. "It was like a house of cards that pretty much collapsed only a matter of minutes after the first crew arrived."

An investigator for the Ontario Fire Marshal's office, Mariano Perini, said officials haven't ruled out a suspicious cause, which is "typical" in a fire of such magnitude.

"We always treat these things as suspicious, even if there's nothing to suggest that it's suspicious," he said, adding officials might have a better idea today of where the fire originated.

"We're still digging and removing the roof and wall structures so we can see what's underneath," he said.

For Jones, who took over the family-run business with his brother in 1971, the city-owned site is steeped in memories.

"At least we have the memories," Jones said. "At least we can hold on to that."

The city shut down the site in 2003 when Jones's lease on the site expired. The city hasn't decided how, or if, it will replace the Gardens.

Two redevelopment proposals, made before the fire -- one for a renovated entertainment hall, the other for an apartment complex and spa -- are being considered.

"At the time (the lease was expiring), I thought the city had a plan for Wonderland," said Jones, who finds it difficult to talk about the Gardens' final days.

"I still don't understand why they didn't want us there. I thought we were doing a pretty good job."

Jones's father, Charlie, and his uncle, Wilf, began leasing the land from the city in 1929, developing it from a swampy marsh in the country to a cherished landmark.

In 1935, the brothers opened the outdoor bandshell, which survived Monday's fire.

They added the dance hall, known for the bands that played there in the 1950s, '60s and '70s, in 1941.

More than 40 years later, in 1983, the next generation of Jones brothers -- Jones and his brother, Don -- debuted the Riverview Restaurant.

"It was quite a place," Jones said of the site. "It used to be really swinging.

"At first, there were guys there dancing with their girlfriends. Then they'd be back dancing with those same girls who were now their wives. And then, of course, years later, they'd be back with their kids," said Jones, whose parents met at the Gardens.

Jones's niece, Carolyn Natterer, who grew up at the Gardens and worked at its restaurant for a decade, shed a few tears as she looked over the wreckage from the fire.

"(Monday) was a very sad day," she said. "I'm still in shock."

Natterer said she hopes the city will find a way to rebuild and restore the original structure, built on a Thames River flood plain.

Officials with the city and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority say a new structure can be built there as long as certain conditions are met, including:

- The new building must fit in the footprint of the old if it's located on the flood plain.

- It can be used for functions no more intense than before. A dance hall would be allowed, but not a hotel.

- The conservation authority must be satisfied the building is flood-proof, and its old foundation would need to be replaced.





Copyright © The London Free Press
 
#3 ·
Wonderland plan promoted

Just days after Wonderland Gardens burned down, the fight for its spoils intensified yesterday.

Officials from Rana Entertainment -- one of two firms expressing an interest in revitalizing the empty entertainment complex -- stood in front of the building yesterday to say their proposal is the only one that follows city and Upper Thames River Conservation Authority regulations.

"Everything they've asked us to do we've complied with," said Rana president Amin Saab.

The other company with a proposal, D.G. Henderson and Associates, wants to develop the site into a tourist destination with a spa built around the site's hot springs, including a 250-suite building and 150-room hotel complex connected to a renovated version of the Gardens bandshell.

Rana's proposal would restore the site to its original 1930s art deco splendour as an entertainment facility.

The plan is to restore the ballroom, pavilion and restaurant for use for weddings and cultural events.

Rana spokesperson Barbara Hunter said public outpouring after the fire shows Londoners want a dance hall and entertainment facility on the site, "not a spa, not a hotel and certainly not a condominium complex."

Board of control discussed what to do with the site in a closed session in June.

Council advised staff to keep looking for options -- which can range from partnerships to turning the area into open space, said finance manager Vic Cote.

"It's clear that council wants to recognize the history of the site and the role it's played in the city of London," he said.

Money has been included in the 2006 budget to redevelop the site if that's what council chooses, Cote said.

Hunter said there hasn't been the "best lines of communication" between Rana and the city. She said Rana still wants to work with the city and is committed to restoring the facility.





Copyright © The London Free Press
 
#4 ·
^ hope that something good becomes of Wonderland Gardens. It's a beautiful piece of property. But the city should take more pride in Guy Lombardo Museum and put a garden in front of it instead of shrubs. Also, an Ontario plaque might be worth something there...
 
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