City of Toronto, school board relocate community centre programs in wake of Scarborough rec. centre fire

Thestar.com
Feb. 7, 2019
Jason Miller

The City of Toronto and the Toronto District School Board have pulled together to relocate programs for nearly 3,000 patrons affected by a five-alarm fire at the Agincourt Recreation Centre, according to a Thursday press release.

People have been given the choice of relocating or receiving a credit, said the release. Seven city recreation centres and three TDSB locations throughout Scarborough have agreed to host the relocated programs. Most are still scheduled for their original day and time. Centre fitness and swim passes will be honoured at other city recreation centres, said the release.

The 14 hockey leagues and associations that were using the centre have also been accommodated at other Scarborough locations, according to the release.

Information about recreation program options for anyone affected by the fire is available by calling 416-396-7378 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or by calling 311.

In a statement, Toronto mayor John Tory congratulated the city staff involved in the relocation efforts for their quick work and thanked the TDSB for its support.

Ward 23 Scarborough North councillor Cynthia Lai commended the community’s strength in rallying after the fire. “The massive response of city staff and others to the fire shows clearly why the word ‘community’ is an important part of the Agincourt Community Recreation Centre name,” she said.

The press release said no details about repairs or reconstruction will be released until the investigation into the fire is completed.

The fire, which burned for close to two days, created extensive damage to the centre’s pool and administrative offices.

Capt. David Eckerman confirmed Thursday that investigators have ruled out foul play as a cause of the blaze, although details about what exactly triggered the accidental the fire have not yet been released.

“Everything has to be tested,” he said. “They’re going to be taking items of interest in the general area of origin for testing in order to determine final cause. The testing is going to take months.”

As for the extent of the damages to the sprawling facility, Eckerman said, “They’re still working on that. I think the rinks, for the most part, (were) spared any damage.”

The fire was put out Saturday after heavy machinery was used to peel back sections of the roof, so that crews could finally gain access to the stubborn blaze.

A press release from the Office of the Fire Marshal with details of the investigation into the cause of the fire is said to be forthcoming shortly.