Forage Farm and Kitchen, one of the few restaurants serving Hornby Island, has been destroyed by an overnight fire, leaving employees without summer work and owners facing the difficult task of rebuilding. The fire broke out in the early morning hours of July 16 at the restaurant in the Ringside Market on Central Road. Volunteer crews with Hornby Island Fire Rescue responded and stopped the flames from spreading to neighbouring businesses. No one was injured. For co-owner Jamara Cronia, the reality of the loss is still sinking in. “It’s done,” she said. “The insurance company says it’s a write-off. It has to be bulldozed.” Cronia said she and her husband were awakened around 3 a.m. by a phone call from a friend after someone spotted flames coming through the restaurant’s roof. By the time firefighters arrived, the blaze had already taken hold. The exact cause has not yet been confirmed, but Cronia said she has been told investigators believe the fire started in a storage room. She says it appears to have been a freak accident rather than an electrical failure. The restaurant suffered extensive fire, smoke and structural damage and will remain closed for the rest of the season. The loss comes at one of the busiest times of the year for Hornby Island, a popular summer destination known for its white-sand beaches, cycling and local food scene. Forage Farm and Kitchen had become a favourite stop for both residents and visitors, offering a farm-to-table menu built around produce, herbs, berries and edible flowers grown on the property’s own farm. “We try to use as much as we can from the garden,” Cronia said. “Whatever is seasonally available.” The closure is also a major blow for the restaurant’s staff. Cronia employed 12 people, several of them full time, many of whom rely on the busy summer tourism season to earn enough money for university tuition and living expenses. “They work for two months, save all their money and then they pay for school,” she said. “Now they’re all scrambling to find other work.” Cronia said she recently gathered the staff together for the first time since the fire to support one another as they process what happened. The timing makes the loss especially difficult. Just weeks before opening for the summer, the owners had completed extensive renovations. “We put a lot of time and effort and love into opening up,” she said. “I feel like I just did this.” Despite the devastation, Cronia says walking away isn’t something she wants to do. “Initially I thought, ‘Is this my way out?’ But I don’t know what else I’d want to do with my life,” she said. “Hearing the outpouring from the community and visitors, the memories they’ve made here makes me want to do it again.” The owners have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help bridge the gap between their insurance coverage and the cost of rebuilding. Cronia said the fundraiser will also help replace the income the family expected to earn during the restaurant’s busiest months. Her husband, who works in construction, plans to rebuild the restaurant himself, a decision that will mean sacrificing much of his own winter income. “We’re just trying to figure it out,” she said. “Hopefully the GoFundMe will help us rebuild.” While the road ahead remains uncertain, Cronia says she’s determined that Forage Farm and Kitchen will one day welcome customers back.
