Historic Abbott and Haliburton store starts rebuilding after fire

A western Newfoundland company that started in the 1880s has broken ground on a new building supplies store, to replace one that burned down in April of 2017.

We have loyal customers and we certainly want to be loyal to them.- Bill Abbott

Owner Bill Abbott said he felt "pure excitement" as he watched his family's historic business in Port Au Port West start to rise from the ashes.

An excavator began preparing the ground to replace the Home Hardware building that was destroyed.

"It's been a long four months since the fire and there's been a lot of frustration," Abbott said. The hardware store, along with a gift shop on the upper level, was destroyed in an overnight fire on April 3.

The wooden building was built in the late 1940s or early 1950s, and was part of a family firm that started on the Port au Port Peninsula in the 1880s. The company is among the oldest in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"I don't care how prepared a person is, you can never be prepared for something like that," Abbott said told CBC's Corner Brook Morning Show on Thursday.

Keeping it afloat

After getting over the emotional shock andthe nostalgia for the old building, Abbott and his staff faced their first challenge: keeping the business afloat while the company got back on its feet.

"We have loyal customers and we certainly want to be loyal to them, so I certainly wouldn't want to make them have to go to one of our competitors," Abbott said.

Fortunately for Abbott and Haliburton, the company's warehouse across the road from the store survived the fire. So did some of their inventory of lumber and building supplies.

But what's a Home Hardware without a home?

Abbott and his staff decide to improvise. The company brought in two office trailers for the accounting and sales staff, and two more trailers with shelves to stock various items.

They reopened in their temporary digs back in May and have been selling out of them ever since.

Abbott said business is "not bad," considering the company's short-term setup and the fact that new building construction in the area is down this year, compared to recent years.

Most materials they sell appear to be used in renovations instead, he added.

"I'm happy with the performance we're managing."

• Historic hardware store in Port au Port West destroyed by fire

There's also happy news for the company's employees amid the disaster. Abbott said he kept his promise not to lay anyone off, and he even hired on a few extra people for summer work.

Lots of support

According to Abbott, one of the key factors in keeping the business afloat so far is support from their customers, which has been"absolutely unbelievable, " he said.

"People come in and they want to know when the new building is starting, and the reaction on Facebook when I posted the picture (of the excavator) was overwhelming positive comments it was emotional."

The new building isn't expected to be ready until at least next spring, and Abbott is hoping to at least have the shell finished by this winterso work can continue on the inside.

And while the new building won't have the same nostalgic feelas the former property, Abbott and Haliburton hasstarted rebuilding something else:memories. They're asking people to submit old photos of the business, for displays online and at the store.