Fire damages former Sobeys building on Pleasant Street

A fire that began late last night has damaged the former Sobeys building at 205 Pleasant Street.

According to reporting from CTV, the two-alarm fire drew more than 30 firefighters who worked to contain the blaze between 11:30 p.m. and the early morning hours.

The damage to the building appears to be considerable, and video and photos taken by area residents show a substantial fire. (Video courtesy of Woodside Tavern.)

Officials have not yet reported a cause for the fire.

District Chief Steve Bussey told CTV that the fire did not spread to the rest of the complex, which is home to the Pleasant Street Diner, MacKay Pharmacy, Alexandra’s Pizza, HDR Vapes and Efty Dishes. All of those businesses were closed as of this afternoon, though damage to their part of the building was not apparent.

The Woodside Tavern, which stands apart from the building, was open for business as usual this afternoon.

No injuries have been reported. According to a security guard working in the lot, the investigation continues this afternoon, and the building is not yet cordoned off. While the Post was down taking photos of the damage from a distance, the guard warned a man from approaching the building due to the potential safety risk.

Trucks from First Onsite, a company that specializes in property damage cleanup, were present this afternoon, as well.

Sobeys inhabited the building until the company sold the property in 2009. The building became subject of a 2011 deed restriction preventing grocery stores from inhabiting the property for the next 20 years, rendering Woodside a food desert until the opening of No Frills last year. This restriction has been a subject of national reporting in recent years, with an investigation by the federal competition bureau into the use of such deeds.

The space was used, for a time, to house and sell restaurant equipment. The Post heard last year that this business had ceased operations.

The Post will follow this story and will share details as they come. If you run a business affected by the fire or are aware of other facts related to this story, contact editor@southdartmouth.ca.