Windsor/CMEDIA: A Fire reportedly closed down a recreation centre (WFCU) in Windsor, Ont. that was being used as a federal election polling station leading some voters to be redirected to a new location to cast their ballots.
Elections Canada was forced to scramble Monday morning in a case of the worst timing possible, to find a new election day polling location when a fire forced a shutdown of voting at the WFCU Centre.
“We’re crazy-busy trying to move to St. Joe’s high school,” an Elections Canada worker told the Star shortly before 11 a.m.
She said the hope was to have the polling station set up and ready for Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore voters at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School, 2425 Clover Ave., within the hour.
In response to reports of a working fire on the rooftop of the WFCU Centre at 8787 McHugh St, a dozen Windsor Fire and Rescue Services vehicles rushed shortly after 10 a.m. and the fire was quickly brought under control.
The crews of the Windsor fire department were successful in the evaluation of all those who were inside.
With black smoke visible for miles, the entire large east Windsor facility was evacuated.
Windsor fire crews urged the public to avoid the area, while Windsor Police Service units were called in to block off the area from traffic.
Among a large number of evacuees gathered in the parking lot included Swimmers still clad in bathing suits and wrapped in towels, City of Windsor and Windsor Spitfires employees.
Windsor police on social media issued an “important voting location and road closure update,” advising voters headed to the WFCU Centre to cast their election day ballots to proceed instead to St. Joe’s high school, which is located just over two kilometres east of the WFCU Centre.
The origin and cause of the fire is being investigated by Windsor’s fire department.
Effective noon on Monday, power to the entire complex remained shut off.
