I was sad to learn late last week that customers of ours, and more importantly people that I look to as friends, had their home destroyed by fire.
Alecia and Mike Durocher, owners of Comfort & Soul Restaurant in Cedar Springs, lost their home near Blenheim Friday.
According to fire officials, crews from five fire stations battled the blaze at the two-storey home. Estimated loss from the fire is $500,000.
Durocher said upwards of 40 firefighters responded to the call, working through extreme cold and high winds.
“They did the best they could possibly do,” she said.
The Durochers are good, hard-working people. And friendly. They are involved in helping raise funds for CK Animal Rescue and offer to deliver meals throughout our region.
Sitting down to a meal at Comfort & Soul is like sitting down to a family dinner. First off, the food is about as home cooked as you can get at a restaurant, and you feel like you are with family, with all the friendly conversations that take place, and advice and support.
We regularly exchange information on deals on meat. Thanks to Alecia, I scored a great price on our Christmas prime rib, for example.
I’ve been able to use her rub on some of my cooking efforts at home, to great success (lots of smiling, well-fed faces).
And I really enjoy their southern-style cooking.
Durocher said her extended family – her customers and giving Chatham-Kent citizens – was quick to help.
“By the time I got back from the fire scene, there were already people at the restaurant with bags of clothes, pillows and blankets, makeup and shoes. The fire wasn’t even out yet,” she said. “The response has just been amazing. I don’t even know how to thank people.
“We always try to treat our customers like family, and it feels like that family is wrapping their arms around us to support us. It’s an awesome thing to have,” she added.
Durocher will vehemently defend the goodwill of Chatham-Kent, as she has now experienced it firsthand.
“Everyone seems to say negative things about Chatham-Kent. I only see the awesome in Chatham-Kent,” she said.
As the support continues to pour in, an appreciative Durocher asks the public to help out in two ways. The first is for people wanting to donate furniture for the family to please not do so, as they are many months away from having a home in which to put it. Instead, she asks that people donate the furniture to local charities.
“They’re trying to give us all this furniture and stuff, be we’re not going to be able to use it for nine months to a year. We’re requesting they donate it instead locally, to the women’s centre or the homeless shelter, so it will be used locally instead of holding it for us,” she said. “We just don’t have anywhere to put it.”
Secondly to help out, Durocher requests people stop by and get a bite to eat.
“We’re asking people to come to our restaurant and let us feed them. We need to work. We’re asking for community support that way,” she said.
If tragedy had to strike, Durocher said the timing was perfect, as no one was home at the time of the fire, which is believed to have started in the kitchen. Even her dogs were off at the groomers.
In regards to their cat, it survived too, but wasn’t seen for some time afterwards.
“The cat, it took us two days to find him. He was not happy,” she said.
As for what the immediate future holds, the Durochers aren’t sure if they’ll be in a hotel for six months or in a trailer on site during the rebuilding process.
“Everyone in Chatham-Kent has made it that much easier.”
Durocher’s right. Yes, we have some negative people in this community, but when neighbours need help, Chatham-Kent steps up.
