THUNDER BAY — A fire that broke out Wednesday evening has heavily damaged Thunder Bay's historic Finnish Labour Temple, the building that houses the world-renowned Hoito restaurant.
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue dispatched multiple units from various stations to the Bay Street landmark.
No flames were immediately visible from the outside but thick grey smoke could be seen streaming out of the east side of the structure from the area between the second level and attic space.
A short time later, however, flames erupted from the roof and a huge plume of smoke rose into the night sky.
Firefighters poured hundreds of thousands of litres of water onto the blaze as they fought to bring it under control.
The flames tore through the third-floor loft where an apartment was under construction, and spread to much of the building's roof and attic area.
Just before 10:30 the iconic cupola atop the tower at the main entrance collapsed.
Hundreds of spectators stood on sidewalks nearby or watched from their cars while firefighters worked through the night.
In addition to structural damage, water damage is expected to be extensive.
The building was constructed in 1910 and is a National Historic Site of Canada.
The labour temple has been undergoing extensive renovations since its purchase by developer Brad McKinnon, who's converting it into apartments.
A local group announced in October that it had signed a deal with him to reopen the Hoito in 2022.
The restaurant has not operated since March 2020.
McKinnon told TBNewswatch he would have no comment on the fire until Thursday morning.
