Crews were still on the scene at Lake Puslinch Sunday spraying water on the smoldering remains of the Old Marina restaurant just outside Cambridge, Ont. The historic building is considered a total loss after a fire broke out the day before.
Joe and Marcy Poulin had to renew their vows at the venue on Saturday after COVID-19 postponed their large wedding parties.
“From day one we wanted to get married on the water and that was our passion,” said Joe. “We were lucky to get it.”
Instead, when their special day came, the couple arrived to find the building on fire.
“I had to turn Marcy’s head away because I didn’t want her to see it and I gave her a big kiss,” Joe said.
As the flames grew, the couple were left looking for somewhere else to go and were met with an outpouring of generosity from the community.
Joe and Marcy Poulin renew their vows at Cambridge Mill on Saturday, July 30, 2022. an improvised choice after their original venue burned down on the day of the ceremony. (Submitted) “People coming up on the side of the road and just complete strangers offering their restaurants, their hotels,” Marcy said. Wedding guests also tried to help out, managing to find space at Cambridge Mill. “For the first Saturday, I don’t know how long, we had a spare room,” said Cambridge Mill general manager Alex Kastner. “That never happens, but we happen to have a spare room.” All 70 wedding guests went to the venue. Looking for food and decorations, Cambridge Mill called in extra staff and managed to provide a ceremony, a meal and a dance floor. Looking for food and decor, Cambridge Mill called in extra staff and managed to provide a ceremony, meal and dance floor for the couple and their 70 guests. (Submitted) The Poulins weren’t the only ones with an event booked at the Old Marina Restaurant on Saturday. The venue was also scheduled to host another wedding, which also had to be moved. This couple found space under the road in an outdoor area. “Space, food, music, what should we do,” said Tara Douglas, a childhood friend of the couple, recalling how the wedding party began. “We called Azores Bakery in Cambridge and I said, ‘we’ve got three hours, what have you got, can you help us?’ Bride Nikola Fielding and groom Roland Dalrup speak to CTV News on July 30, 2022. (CTV Kitchener) Bride Nikola Fielding and groom Roland Dalrup said they had to cancel some wedding events in 2020 due to the pandemic, so this was just another hurdle. “We were kind of used to them getting in the way, so it didn’t really hit [us] so hard at first,” Roland said. “We just picked up the phones and did what we could.” They managed to put out food for 100 guests and the celebration continued. “It’s amazing, all together, we had our family and friends to support us,” said Nicola. As of Sunday, crews were unable to enter the ruins of the Old Marina restaurant to investigate the cause of the fire. No injuries have been reported.
