Ali Adwan
The Scotiabank in the heart of Ottawa’s Chinatown recently reopened after months of recovering from a fire.
The fire, which happened in October, 2021, was considered so bad that a full closure was required and extensive renovations were needed. No injuries were reported.
The fire was reported to have occurred about 5 a.m. when there were no people inside. Firefighters were quickly able to put out the flames before they spread. The fire was reported by a monitoring company that was notified by an alarm inside the bank. When the company checked, flames had already started.
The Somerset West-Chinatown Business Improvement Area (BIA) assisted with the bank branch’s reopening. The bank’s location at Somerset West and Bronson is in the middle of the BIA’s jurisdiction.
“Our branch exists to promote Chinatown not only for tourists, but also for residents who might not be familiar with everything the area has to offer. On one hand we assist in promoting by making advertisements to promote businesses, and we are also responsible for the unification of the neighbourhood,” said BIA Executive Director Yukang Li.
Li said the BIA worked alongside the branch manager of the bank (a BIA member) to follow along with the progress of renovations and keep businesses and individuals up to date.
“That bank is the only one in Chinatown so the closure creates an inconvenience that we want to try and mitigate as much as possible,” he added.
A BIA allows local businesses and property owners within a district to come together to organize, finance, improve and promote the area as a business and shopping district with the support of the city.
The Chinatown BIA also promotes local events such as the Ottawa Chinatown night market, Li said.