THUNDER BAY — The owner of the fire-ravaged Finnish Labour Temple says he's gathered photos from all areas of the building's interior to help prove what caused the devastating Dec. 22 fire.
Brad McKinnon is expressing confidence he's got what he needs.
"It's important that we get to the bottom of this thing," McKinnon said Monday.
Last week, the Office of the Fire Marshal announced the fire's cause will remain undetermined because of the extent of the damage on the third level.
That area was considered unsafe to enter.
However, McKinnon has stated previously that he believes he knows how it started, and that it was not arson.
Now he's assembling evidence to support that.
"We've got our own investigators who have been through the entire building, accompanied by me. We've taken lots of pictures," he said.
McKinnon said his team was able to get "Even up into the ceiling of the second floor, which was the floor of the third floor."
He said he presumes the OFM uses "a different methodology than, let's say, a private investigator or a forensic investigator, an engineer...I mean, they almost have to prove the cause of a fire while watching the person doing it. Like you almost need to get the person caught on video lighting the flame."
McKinnon expected the investigation to finish on Monday, and hopes to use the findings to expedite his insurance claim.
"Absolutely. And I also want people to know that this isn't some sort of mysterious fire. There is a cause, and a person behind it, and it wasn't me."
McKinnon plans to rebuild the Finnish Labour Temple and to duplicate the original facade and iconic cupola.
