REGINA — Local members described being shocked after a Regina community fridge suffered damage in a fire on Tuesday evening.
According to their social media, Regina Fire responded to a commercial fire at 3037 Dewdney Avenue around 5:50 p.m. As a result of the fire, the fridge suffered damage to the interior.
“When I saw [that] somebody sent me the post [about the fire] online, I was quite shocked,” said Joe Elkerton, executive director of the Indigenous Christian Fellowship, a church located down the road from the fridge.
Elkerton described his initial reaction to the fire as a loss to the community.
“So many people from the community are accessing it. People are bringing stuff there, but [there are also many] people who need it.”
The Indigenous Christian Fellowship provides hot meals twice a week to the community. Any surplus of food would then be taken to the fridge.
“If we've made more than we need that day, we'll put it into containers and just take it over there,” said Elkerton.
“I'd rather it went there, and somebody takes it home, than it ended up in a landfill somewhere and that it's food wasted when there are people who could actually use it.”
Elkerton described food delivered by the Indigenous Christian Fellowship to the fridge being gone within an hour.
“There have been times when it was warmer out that there would be people who you could see sitting there waiting for a donation to come in, just so that they could have a meal.”
Dwyane Russelo, owner of D's Scoops and Snacks across the street from the location, said roughly 100 people accessed the fridge daily.
Russelo himself would donate sandwiches to the fridge every Saturday.
“There's a lot of community [and] a lot of businesses that would help out that fridge.”
Elkerton also mentioned that a community fridge can be more accessible for those in need compared to certain food banks.
“Some food banks … it's one of those deals where you can come once a month, and they'll say, ‘So you're done for this month.”
“So you’re on your own to survive until next month,” he added.
The fridge first opened in late 2020, spearheaded by Danielle Froh.
SaskToday reached out to volunteer members of the fridge, but received no response.
It’s unclear if a new fridge will be moved in to replace the damaged one.
As for the fire, Regina Fire is currently investigating the cause.
