Change in Killarney 'culture' undeterred by fire

Sitting on an office chair, in his soggy sweat clothes, with firefighters still spraying the remains of his multi-million-dollar hotel building outside, Holden Rhodes doesn't seem like the man who just hours before was enthusiastically giving a tour of the new Killarney Mountain Lodge.

"Things were very positive 24 hours ago and what remains positive is that no one was hurt," Rhodes says quietly and slowly.

But Rhodes says he isn't changing his plans to transform the mountain lodge with an $18 million renovation and his dream of turning Killarney into a tourism destination.

"No, we're going to continue on as planned, the grand opening is going to continue on June25, we're going to have to start a rebuilding process for that building as soon as the investigations are over and continue to operate," Rhodes said on Thursday morning, while his staff prepared to welcome new guests to the lodge.

Investigators are trying to figure out what caused the one-storey 16-room $4 million "Covered Portage" wing to catch fire, but are calling the fire "suspicious."

Hours before the fire, Rhodes gave CBC a tour of the rejuvenated lodge, including a new lighthouse entranceway, that firefighters doused with water to keep the flames from spreading to the main building.

Rhodes is a lawyer and businessman from London, Ont. but he has deep roots in Killarney. His ancestors farmed here in the late 1800s, his mother was born in the small harbour town, where he spent many childhood summers.

It was his mother that pointed out to him a few years ago over dinner that the Killarney Mountain Lodge, the town's landmark hotel since the 1950s, was for sale.

Rhodes now owns the lodge and Killarney's other main hotel, the Sportsman's Inn.

He wants to"bring a new culture" to the town's tourism sector, with double the number of guest rooms,new lounges and dining rooms to relax in and a wide range of guest activities, everything from kayak tours to history lessons.

"I enjoy seeing other people enjoying themselves," says Rhodes of his leap into the hospitality business.

Rhodes says he expects change will come to Killarney just because of the size of his plans, but he does hope that more businesses will follow his lead to the little village that's always been big on scenery, but light on development.

"The town by the virtue of the fact that we're expanding at both properties is going to need more people here to work and to live," Rhodes says.

"School was built to accomodate well over 100 kids and I think currently hasabout 12.Definitely there's room for expansion and there will be other businesses that will thrive off of this investment as well, which I'm gladand hope for."