Parkdale Plaza fire: Dollarama only unit where demolition expected

Police tape surrounds part of Parkdale Plaza in Waterloo on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015. (Abigail Bimman / CTV Kitchener)

One week after fire ripped through a Dollarama in Waterloo’s north end, signs of normalcy are starting to return to Parkdale Plaza.

At the Homestyle Diner, Friday marked the first time electricity service was restored since last week’s fire.

The lack of power hadn’t stopped co-owners Craig Yantz and Denise Price from spending every day in their restaurant, working to get it ready to reopen.

“It’s been a lot of long days, but we’re trying as best we can to be positive,” Yantz said.

While no timeframe has been set for regular business to resume at the restaurant, both co-owners say they’ll reopen as soon as they can.

Reopening is also the plan at Parkdale Pet Place, where almost the entire inventory was destroyed in the fire.

The only exception? Eight betta fish.

“We were surprised that the betta fish were still alive,” said owner Rick Gagne.

Meanwhile, police and the Office of the Fire Marshal continue to investigate the fire itself.

A 14-year-old boy has been charged with arson endangering life in connection with the fire. He remains in custody.

Exactly how he allegedly started the fire, which investigators believe began near the back of the Dollarama, has not been made public.

At a Friday afternoon media briefing, police, fire and city officials provided reporters with little new information.

“There’s not much that we can say right now,” said Bryan Fischer of the fire marshal’s office.

“At this point our investigation’s still ongoing.”

One new development announced Friday was the issuing of a demolition permit for the Dollarama, which will allow demolition work to begin next week.

No other units in the plaza are expected to be demolished.