Following a major fire in April that destroyed their building, Fitzgerald Carpeting is preparing to reopen at 314 Old Airport Rd.
Their previous location on Woolgar Ave. was destroyed by fire on April 24.
The business, which sells and installs flooring, is expecting to reopen next week following months of preparation.
“We’re thinking next week but we’re just waiting on some displays,” says Mary-Ellen Savard, co-owner of Fitzgerald Carpeting.
The company’s previous building was built specifically as a flooring shop in 1991, with plenty of space for stock.
The building caught fire after an employee left a vehicle running and unattended inside a bay door for 25 minutes. After catching fire, flames quickly engulfed the premise.
The new location, which is a shared space with Ahmic Air, will be much smaller and does not include a warehouse.
“It’s been challenging to find a location that has everything that we had before,” said co-owner Paul McGrath. “To find that in a prime location in Yellowknife is almost impossible.”
Despite the loss of their former location and months of lost revenue, Savard and McGrath have been touched by the outpouring of support from the community.
Even competing businesses have stepped up to offer help since the fire.
“The biggest surprise has been the outpouring from the community,” said McGrath. “Everyone is so willing to help. We’ve had so many offers.”
