There was a fire at Earnscliffe on the night of Tuesday, 4 October. It began at about 7.30 pm, when the smoke alarms went off. The house rapidly filled with smoke, and we evacuated the building.
The Ottawa Fire Department arrived in 5 minutes, and deployed with speed and great efficiency. It took about an hour to contain and extinguish the fire, which was in the attic and upper roof spaces. It did not reach the rest of the house. The Fire Department did an excellent job of protecting furniture and valuables, but there will have been some loss on the upper floor
The rest of the house is broadly intact, but there is water damage on the second and ground floors. We will begin a damage assessment as soon as the fire marshals have completed their investigation of what may have caused the fire.
This is an historic house, the home of Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A Macdonald. We hold it in great affection. It is hugely important to Canada’s history, and to the British High Commission. Many Canadians have visited it over the years, and will again. We will refurbish it, and have begun to consider how to do so.
In the interim, I am very grateful to the Ottawa Fire Department, for their speed, efficiency and professionalism, and the great courtesy of two Deputy Chiefs; to the RCMP and the Ottawa Police, who were swiftly on the scene and very helpful in sealing off the property and maintaining security; and to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), for whom nothing has been too much trouble – Foreign Minister Baird visited the scene, and offered generous help, and the Protocol Department were, as ever, in the vanguard.
I’d like also to thank the many people, in Canada and elsewhere, who have emailed or telephoned to express sympathy and concern. We’ll try to answer all your kind messages.
Many thanks,
Andrew and Julie Pocock