Historic Annapolis Royal building damaged by fire

Firefighters managed to salvage part of a 139-year-old building that houses a pub in the historic town of Annapolis Royal, N.S., following a morning fire that started in an oven.

The Annapolis Royal Volunteer Fire Department said the call came in at 8:33 a.m. local time and that firefighters from throughout the Annapolis Valley headed to the scene at the Whiskey Teller on Church Street.

Chief Andrew Cranton said it appeared the fire spread from the chimney of a rotisserie oven and got into the venting system. From there, it ignited parts of the floor on the second storey and then the roof.

“We saved a portion of the front half of the building, and the second storey in the back half had significant fire damage and smoke and water,” he said.

Nancy Anderson, who lives nearby, said by 9:30 a.m. flames were through the roof. At one point, she said, firefighters used chainsaws to cut into the building.

The two-storey brick building dates to 1884 and originally housed a bank and law offices, according to the website of heritage group National Trust for Canada. 

Over the years, it’s been used as a bakery, bookstore and youth hostel, before being turned into a pub and later undergoing restoration. The building is a municipally registered heritage property.

Cranton called the building “a pillar” of the community and said the pub was a draw for visitors. 

“It’s going to be a significant loss to the tourism,” he said.