The executive director of a non-profit organization that helps adults with disabilities learn vocational and social skills is still unsettled by a weekend fire at one of their buildings on the weekend. A neighbour heard a disturbance at about 3 a. Police were first to arrive and firefighters from the North Sydney Volunteer Fire Department extinguished the fire in about 15 minutes.
MacLean said the fire caused serious damage to the building, which was built modularly from four trailers and was mainly used to teach clients domestic and self-help skills. You would see some people maybe working together on a craft project.
You may see someone else in the relaxation room just doing a self-directed activity. You may see someone else painting something thats going to be sold in our store.
Baking dog bones to sell in our store. You may see someone planting some seeds or working in the garden, or someone hanging laundry out on the clothesline. Its a really wide variety, MacLean said, adding that because many of the 15 clients at Martell Hall are on the autism spectrum, moving services to another location even on the site will be a challenge. When you come in to the facility, you have your routine. That predictable routine helps a lot of individuals on the spectrum self-regulate.
Theyre able to process and be effective in their day because its familiar surroundings, familiar people, familiar routines. Theres comfort in that and now were taking that all away. Were anticipating were going to see some challenging things happen. MacLean, who was vacationing in New York City when the fire took place, said an insurance adjustor and representatives from the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services were expected to visit the site Wednesday.
