Around 3am on February 6th the strip mall next to the Brittania Pub, on Richmond road was set ablaze. The strip mall was gutted by fire. Included in the wreckage was locally owned and operated, Wicked Wanda's Adult Emporium.
Two local residents have been charged with 5 counts of arson in relation to the Richmond Road fire that destroyed 4 other business as well as WW.
Wanda, the proprietor of Wicked Wanda's, was in London, Ontario at the time of the fire performing with the London edition of Sexapalooza. Wicked Wanda's Adult Emporium was a labour of love. Wanda thrived on educating the public on sexuality and offers workshops on various types of BDSM play and body discovery.
An Unofficial statement from a WW employee say "We will regroup and rebuild".
A fund has been started to help Wanda get back on her feet while the insurance dicks take their time figuring out how little they can pay out. If you are interested in donating please email me and I will put you in contact with the person in charge of raising money.
I wish Wanda nothing but the best and hope that she and her employees/friends (sometimes that line blurs) are all back on their feet really soon.
I know what it's like to have your world turned upside-down by a fire. On December 23rd '08 the apartment above mine was destroyed by a fire. The structure of my apartment was destroyed by flood and smoke. Luckily the contents were unharmed. I was displaced for 5 weeks, with no insurance and no proper compensation from the company I rent from. Not to mention the busses were not running! Renovations were finally fully completed last week and we're still unpacking and reorganizing.
My situation sucked more than I can express in words... I can only imagine how all the business owners who lost their stores in the Feb 6th fire feel.
My heart goes out to them.
(photo from Ottawa Citizen)
