Massive Fire destroys White Point Resort

By Chris McGregor

WHITE POINT, NS—A massive fire at White Point Beach Resort has closed the historic 80-year-old hotel.

The main lodge at the 160-room resort is destroyed, but 13 cabins along the beach were spared.

“The fire started in the basement of the building. It was not in the kitchen,” said RCMP Sgt. Jeff Wells. “The main building is a complete loss.”

The RCMP said the fire started small but quickly spread because of high winds. Officers evacuated the hotel and all staff and guests were uninjured and the cause is not considered suspicious.

Owner Robert Risley of RCR Hospitality said the fire started with an electrical fault in the basement and confirmed that plans are already in the works to rebuild the hotel.

“We hope to start early in the new year, but it will take until the fall of 2012 to finish,” Risley said.

White Point’s 150-seat dining room, the Seawatch, is located in the main building, along with Founder’s Lounge, meeting and convention space, a fitness centre, indoor pool and reception. All were destroyed.

“It’s horrible to look at it this way, but it’s an opportunity to be really smart with what we put back in place,” said Danny Morton, the hotel’s general manager. The management team has met to talk about what they want the rebuild to look like.

Morton said he’s interested in bringing the hotel up to current standards, addressing accessibility for the disabled, being more energy efficient and meeting the needs of the entire visitor demographic, from families, couples, and those using the resort’s time share properties. White Point is currently a 4-Green Key property, something Morton said he wants to improve on.

“There are accessibility issues and it is harder to get around because it is an older property. I think about it for the handicapped and wheelchairs and aging demographics. We get a lot of kids and older people and everyone in between,” Morton said.

The hotel’s dining room is to be redesigned to take greater advantage of the ocean views, as everyone who walked in for dinner wanted a window seat. Morton said the early plans are to install tiered seating, as well as implementing two price points—one for families and one for couples and the corporate market.

While the frontline staff at White Point has been laid off, Morton said offers to hire their staff have come in from other hotels that are looking for temporary help leading into the busy holiday season.

Morton said the resort’s 43 beach cottages are also in line for a renovation starting in 2012. Earlier this year, the hotel received a $1 million provincial loan to pay for marketing and upgrades.