How Lake of the Woods District Hospital is coping with 'significant loss' after fire at laundry facility

Desmond Brown · CBC News

· Posted: May 16, 2025 4:14 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

An probe is ongoing to find the origin of a occurrence aboriginal Wednesday greeting that resulted successful important harm to the laundry installation astatine Lake of the Woods District Hospital (LWDH).

On Friday a spokesperson for the infirmary told CBC Thunder Bay that security adjusters person visited the tract and the building, which is located connected the aforesaid spot but not attached to the main infirmary building, has been secured.

"As of close present we are not capable to usage immoderate of the facility. Our laundry squad tin enactment part-time retired of Pinecrest Home to bash laundry — a important simplification successful capableness from our facility," Charlene Kissick said.

"New linens person been ordered and are expected to get adjacent week and our squad is trying to fig retired suitable laundry sorting stations and a portable operation and equipment."

'Significant damage' 

According to Kissick, the fire, which began astir 1:30 a.m. CT on Wednesday, "destroyed" the hospital's laundry truck. It besides damaged laundry instrumentality and linens earlier it was contained and extinguished by Kenora Fire & Emergency Services with assistance from Ontario Provincial Police.

"That gathering is wherever each of our laundry services instrumentality place, truthful it was a important nonaccomplishment due to the fact that there's important harm not lone to the gathering but to the laundry motortruck and the equipment. All of our laundry machines and the linen were successful the building," Kissick told CBC News connected the greeting of the fire.

No 1 was injured successful the fire, Kissick said, and an nonstop estimation of the harm had not been determined arsenic of Wednesday.

Community partners rally to help

Kissick said the squad astatine Wiigwas Elder and Senior Care Home and Pinecrest Home person stepped successful to assistance with laundry services — usage of machines and other linens — instantly aft the fire.

She said it's "incredibly generous of our partners to connection this to support america going."

"It warms your heart. It's specified a hard time, but it's times similar this we truly tin spot however fantastic our assemblage is," she said.

 CBC News has reached retired to the Ontario Ministry of Health for comment.