St Jacobs Market Burns to Ground. Around 2:30 Kitchener fire fighters were called out to a fire at St Jacob’s main building. The two storey building has been totally destroyed with fire fighters remaining on scene to control and extinguish hot spots. There has been no cause identified for the fire and police say the Ontario Fire Marshal has been called into investigate.
Over 200 years ago St Jacobs was known as Jakobstettel or “Jacobs settlement” after Jacob C. Snyder, the Mennonite farmer who pioneered the early development of the town. Although “Jakobstettel” was changed to “St Jacobs” with the opening of the first post office in 1852, old Mennonite family names still permeate the Village.
Although the farmers market is a huge attraction for tourists St Jacobs is also known as the birth place of the Home Hardware chain and the Leaf’s Sittler used to spend his summers there as a boy. Darryl’s father used to work at the St Jacobs creamery.
Tourists and locals will be waiting to see how this huge part of St Jacobs history and tourist destination will be restored.
Brought to you by the Barrie Home Inspector