INUVIK
Another of Inuvik's oldest buildings is a thing of the past in what authorities are calling a "suspicious" fire.

An Inuvik firefighter looks on as the Alforno's fire roars during the afternoon of May 24. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

Alforno's Restaurant was destroyed in a fire May 24 that saw firefighters on scene for more than a half-day.

Dozens of people congregated around the scene of the blaze just after noon when the emergency vehicles roared to the site of the downtown fire.

Alforno's has been closed since being heavily damaged by a fire in September 2013.

It's one of Inuvik's original buildings, along with the Igloo Church and the building across the intersection of Mackenzie Road and Tununuk Place which houses Originals on Mackenzie, the Inuvik Drum offices, and a barber shop.

The Alforno's Restaurant building was formerly a bowling alley and the site of the Polaris Theatre, said many people who were watching it burn with more than a hint of nostalgic sentimentality.

"I used to go there for the midnight movies," said longtime resident Vince Sharpe. "I'd take my dates there, and I have some good memories of it."

Winston Moses, now almost 70, said he remembered going to see the movies there as well, as did his niece Ruth Wright.

"They had those big reels," Moses said wistfully.

Talal Al-Khatib is a representative of the numbered corporation which owns the building. He said it was purchased in 1990 by the company that he's a part of, and he opened it for business in 1994. He's widely recognized as the de facto owner of the building by town residents.

The building has an unsavoury reputation, with some residents making allegations of illegal activities in its vicinity.

The numbered corporation associated to Al-Khatib also owns condemned buildings on Inuit and Kugmallit roads near the Blueberry Patch which are the subject of ongoing negotiations with the town about their demolition.

Al-Khatib said during the afternoon May 24 that he was "sad to see the building go.

"It's not the first fire and not only here," he said, referring to fires at the restaurant and the housing complex in the last year.

He said he couldn't understand how a fire could have started in the building since it's been disconnected from electrical and gas services for months.

"There's no nothing," he said.

Al-Khatib said he had been told in the last week or so that someone had broken in through the back door, so it's possible someone could have gotten into the building.

"I'm very attached to this building," he said. "I love this building from a landscaping point of view."

The fire prompted the evacuation of a nearby apartment building located behind Alforno's, and the firefighters hosed it down periodically through the afternoon.

At approximately 5 p.m., an excavator was brought in to knock down what was left of the Alforno's. That took less than an hour to accomplish, and the fire department remained on scene to hose down the rubble.

Firefighters were still there at 4 a.m. May 25 and remained on the scene until at least noon.

In the absence of Fire Chief Jim Sawkins, who was on vacation, there was no comment available from the department or the town about the resources used to fight the flames or a possible cause.

Assistant NWT Fire Marshal Rick Lindsay also had no comment on the fire or its possible cause.

The RCMP issued a media release May 26 stating "the fire is considered suspicious at this time.

"The Inuvik fire department and RCMP are investigating. No suspects or cause of the fire have been identified at this time. The matter is still under investigation."

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