The historic building that housed the Story Book Early Learning Centre on Arthur Avenue in Essex lies in ruins today.

The director of the daycare centre says its staff members have received an outpouring on kindness and support since the blaze that destroyed the building on Saturday, Jan. 7. In a statement, Donna Hedrick also said, “We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the firefighters of Essex, Lakeshore and Kingsville who battled this blaze in sub-zero temperatures throughout the night.”

Investigators are still working to determine a damage estimate and the cause of the fire.

Staff members at Story Book are currently working to secure another building for the families affected by the fire. An update will be released as soon as the facility is able to re-open its doors in another location.

The Story Book operation at the Essex Public School is fully functional for those families whose children are already enrolled at that location.