The Casa Venezia restaurant in Ormstown has announced plans to reopen following a suspicious fire that occurred around 1 a.m. on July 20. The popular restaurant will be moving to the Lac des Pins campground in Saint-Antoine-Abbé.
The news was announced in a social media post that was first published on July 30. Although no date has been announced just yet, the business owners assured customers they intend to resume operations quickly as they promised the day after the fire. The owners thanked their customers for “the generous support and encouragement” they have received since the fire took place.
According to the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), firefighters dispatched to the scene observed several factors that suggested the fire may have been deliberately set. The building that housed the restaurant was heavily damaged by smoke and the flames, but no one was injured, and other buildings in the area were spared.
The restaurant owners expressed their disappointment and bewilderment at the events on the restaurant’s Facebook page. “It’s truly unbelievable that people with such malicious intent could reduce to ashes the efforts a local business owner has spent ten years building up.”
The SQ has confirmed that no suspects have been arrested or identified at this time, and their investigation is ongoing. Firefighters from the Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague, Franklin, and Howick fire departments assisted the Ormstown crew during their response.