For someone whose storefront was forced to close due to a chaotic fire, Outlook business owner Jacq鈥檡 Carlson is maintaining a positive mindset at a time when most others in her situation likely wouldn鈥檛.
The owner of Jacq鈥檡 Jaye鈥檚 Boutique & Espresso Bar, an Outlook staple on Saskatchewan Avenue which was recently recognized as the 2016 Business of the Year at last month鈥檚 Community Appreciation Awards banquet, says she wants to keep staying positive and work towards making sure the doors of the store open as soon as possible.
鈥淚鈥檝e been very optimistic and positive through it, and trying to really push through and get open as soon as possible,鈥� said Jacq鈥檡, sitting down with The Outlook this past Monday morning, one week after the fire to the neighboring buildings had occurred.聽 鈥淎nything we can do that鈥檚 going to make this process quicker and easier, I want us to open as soon as possible.聽 So that鈥檚 where I鈥檓 at right now; staying positive and doing anything we can do.聽 We took yesterday off from coming down to the store, but other than that, we鈥檝e been here the full week trying to help out where we can and make sure everything is going smoothly.鈥�
At around 1:30 am on Easter Monday, April 17, a blaze broke out on Saskatchewan Avenue in town that eventually took a fiery hold of the old Outlook Electric building, as well as the office building next door.聽 The Outlook Fire Department spent hours through the night in fighting the flames, and RCMP rerouted traffic away from the scene during the morning part of the day.聽 When all was said and done, the two buildings were a complete loss and were destroyed and removed, with nothing but a large dirt hole remaining at the time of this publication.
Upon hearing of the fire, Carlson said she was virtually in a state of denial, seemingly intent on opening the store right away, even as she and her husband Brian rushed down in the middle of the night and saw what was happening in downtown Outlook.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to say denial, and shock more so,鈥� she said, on her first reactions upon hearing the news.聽 鈥淲e got a call at three in the morning, as the fire department wanted to get into the building to make sure they could keep the wall cool and check for heat spots.聽 So we came down here, and I was down here until about 4:30 in the morning, and then I told Brian that I should get home to get some sleep because tomorrow was going to be a long day, thinking I was going to open the store!鈥�
As far as Jacq鈥檡 was concerned, it was going to be business as usual right away.聽 However, new information coming in all the time about what had been done eventually made her realize that the doors had to close for the time being.
鈥淚 had full expectations of coming in and opening as normal,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 think Brian just humored me at the time because he probably knew there was more extensive damage than that, as well as just with the business around the fire area.聽 He came back down here and stayed through the night, helping where he could.聽 I called him in the morning and he goes, 鈥楧on鈥檛 hurry down to work, you won鈥檛 be opening today鈥�.聽 From there, I guess it was just suppose, 鈥極h well, I鈥檒l be open Tuesday鈥�, and as we talked to insurance adjustors and the cleanup crews, I finally learned that 鈥榊ou鈥檙e not opening this quick鈥�.聽 So my initial reaction was definitely that I should be able to move forward and get this done as quickly as possible if there are no problems.鈥�
Fire damage can be a tricky thing from a visual perspective, as it鈥檚 not always so clear what exactly has been done to any business building or the merchandise being sold inside.
鈥淚 still don鈥檛 (know the extent),鈥� said Jacq鈥檡, on the damage done inside the store.聽 鈥淭he more we talk to our neighbors on the street, we鈥檙e finding out there鈥檚 more damage.聽 Visually, when I walked into the store, I went 鈥極h, well this looks fine, I can open鈥�.聽 There was a little bit of damage outside the building and a little bit of soot and water in the basement.聽 For my main level, I thought I could open up the coffee shop the next day, but the more I talked to them, they said that I couldn鈥檛 as there鈥檚 been smoke damage in here, and you don鈥檛 really see the effect that smoke has on items.鈥�
For a business such as Carlson鈥檚, which sells merchandise such as jewelry, footwear and clothing, the damage to the inventory stock means basically starting from square one as far as restocking the store shelves and opening back up.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e taken all my stock, and I do not get that back,鈥� Jacq鈥檡 explained.聽 鈥淚鈥檓 basically starting back from square one.聽 What happens is once there鈥檚 been any fire or smoke damage at all, that item is not new anymore.聽 They can take it to do some cleaning or processes on it, but I don鈥檛 want to sell stuff that has been in that type of situation anyway, and I also don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 fair to the community to always have to wonder about any smoke damage.聽 It鈥檚 the best way, but it鈥檚 not the easiest way to get up and going quickly, because now I have to start from square one by ordering.聽 So that鈥檚 going to take up a little bit of time, and as soon as I can get stock back in the store and the rest of this stuff done, I hope to be open.鈥�
As far as damages go, the exact dollar amount isn鈥檛 quite known just yet, as Carlson waits to hear from insurance providers as it relates to what鈥檒l be covered.聽 However, she鈥檚 grateful that the building hasn鈥檛 seemed to be harmed too badly, as she knows that isn鈥檛 the case elsewhere.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still waiting on that,鈥� she said, on hearing back from her insurance.聽 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really know the details on that.聽 I鈥檓 still waiting on insurance to get back to me as to what is or isn鈥檛 covered, and we鈥檙e doing as much as we can here just to save on costs.聽 The process isn鈥檛 as quick as I thought it would be, but I鈥檓 sure my neighbors have bigger issues; I still happen to have four walls.鈥�
Since the doors closed a little over a week ago, the support from Jacq鈥檡鈥檚 customers and the community has helped keep her in good spirits.
鈥淚鈥檓 getting quite a few people reaching out to me and just asking if there鈥檚 anything that they can do,鈥� she said.聽 鈥淧eople are basically saying that they鈥檒l be back once we open and sentiments such as that, so it鈥檚 been really good.鈥�
As far as a re-opening date is concerned, that isn鈥檛 100% known just yet.聽 But as Jacq鈥檡, Brian and crews work at cleaning up the store and getting it back into shape, the hope is that the doors open back up within a matter of weeks.
鈥淚deally, I wanted to be open the next day, obviously,鈥� Carlson laughed.聽 鈥淎s far as a timeline to reopen, again, that isn鈥檛 clear right now.聽 It depends on when the store gets fully cleaned, as it鈥檚 getting a full cleanup.聽 I鈥檓 not necessarily going to wait for all my stock to arrive; as soon as I get the coffee shop up and going, we鈥檒l start with that.聽 My hope is to be open within three weeks, but it could be sooner.鈥�
