The former Billiards Building in downtown Red Deer, owned by Potter's Hands, was destroyed by fire on Aug. 24. The Mustard Seed is now partnering with the City of Red Deer to collect cash and other donations for the roughly 20 low income housing residents that were displaced by the blaze. (rdnewsNOW / Sheldon Spackman).

By Sheldon Spackman

Community Support

Mustard Seed collecting cash and other donations for victims of downtown fire

Aug 25, 2020 | 1:17 PM

A local organization that offers help to individuals experiencing poverty or homelessness in Red Deer, is stepping up its efforts even further by collecting donations for people displaced by a downtown fire Monday afternoon.

Byron Bradley, Managing Director – Central Alberta for the Mustard Seed in Red Deer, says starting immediately, they will be accepting both cash and other needed item donations for residents of the Potter’s Hands Billiards Building, which was destroyed by fire on Aug. 24.

Bradley says many in the community are asking how they can help, so The Mustard Seed is coordinating those efforts.

“We’ve set up a ‘fire fund’ and we’re accepting financial donations and we’ll be coordinating with the City of Red Deer,” he explains. “100 per cent of those funds will go to the victims through the City of Red Deer.”

Bradley says central Albertans can come by The Mustard Seed to drop off those donations and ask that they go to the ‘fire fund’.

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“If they have other donations like new clothing or new items they would like to donate to these people, we can accept those as well and we will work with the City of Red Deer to ensure that the funds and the donations go to the victims of the fire,” he points out.

Bradley adds it’s important to note that the building’s roughly 20 residents have now lost everything.

“They were already in a low income housing situation,” he explains. “There’s been a few other times in the years where we’ve been in Red Deer and there’s been fires or people have been displaced through other organizations and we just want to step up and partner and just care for people.”

According to City of Red Deer officials, residents were shuttled to a temporary reception centre at G.H. Dawe Community Centre and were put up at a local hotel overnight.

Seth Schalk, Property Manager with Potter’s Hands Developments which has owned and operated the former Billiards Building for the past 21 years, says the 22 unit apartment housed people in a low income bracket – offering bachelor, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites.

He admits, they’re now working on a longer-term housing solution for those now homeless from the fire.

“We’re working on seeing the availability of suites we have in other apartment buildings across town,” remarks Schalk. “We’ve also talked with a few other individuals that are offering to house some of these individuals as well, so we’re working on our best at finding some housing for everybody that we can.”

In terms of the building’s future, Potter’s Hands first in Red Deer, Schalk suggests it is too early to say what they will do with the property next.

“We’re working with our tenants,” says Schalk. “All of them have lost their home, their belongings. We’re working on the people side of things right now. We’ll worry about the building side of things when we can figure out the people side first.”

Schalk notes, however, the amazing support the displaced residents of the fire are already receiving through efforts such as from The Mustard Seed, with local businesses offering support like vouchers and free meals to those affected as well.

“The community support has been unreal,” he exclaims. “It’s hard to comprehend how a community can come together like this, but it’s pretty amazing.”

“We’re just so grateful that the fire department, the police, and the first responders came and did such a fantastic job,” he exclaims. “This is a nightmare for so many people and for us as well. It comes down to if you lose a building, you lose a building, but when you lose a life and people get hurt, that’s the last thing you want to see, so we’re just thankful that it looks like people are OK.”

An investigation into the cause of the fire remains ongoing.

Related: Red Deer emergency crews battle structure fire downtown