City Pizza fire fallout

It's been more than a week since fire struck the building housing City Pizza and Topcuts (5688 Spring Garden) and both businesses are still very, very closed. As of press time, a cause for the blaze had yet to be found. "Our investigators are working in there. We've had to do some work in the building---take a heavy air-conditioning unit off the roof and shore up the ceiling, so that our investigators work safely in there," says Dave Meldrum, a divisional captain with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Service, explaining the holdup with the investigation. Damage to the building was "pretty considerable," adds Meldrum. "Certainly the third storey is extensively damaged and there's smoke and water damage to the second and first storeys." The building's next-door neighbour, Bookmark, Inc. was closed for a few days following the fire due to minimal smoke and water damage, but no books were harmed and the store's back open. As for poor, damaged City Pizza, owner Yasser Khalaf's not sure what the fate of his restaurant will be---whether they'll move, or repair the damaged space and re-open. They'll definitely be re-opening somewhere, though, he says. Meanwhile, the shop's water-damaged downstairs neighbour, Topcuts, is currently on the lookout for a new space in the Spring Garden area. "We're not out of business. We are actively looking for a place," says John Campbell, the salon's manager. Staff hope to find a new home and make the move within the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for updates.