Whitehorse Super A owner grateful for support after partial roof collapse

The owner of a Whitehorse grocery store that saw part of its roof collapse on April 2 says he's grateful for the outpouring of support in the aftermath of the incident. 

In a letter shared with CBC on Thursday, Super A owner Scott McCarthy said a portion of the roof over the store's bakery section caved in on Friday. He described it as a "slow process, which thankfully gave us the time needed to make sure everyone was able to evacuate safely."

The letter didn't state a reason for the collapse, but a person who was at the Riverdale neighbourhood Super A told CBC on April 2 that the roof gave in under the weight of snow.  

Both the Yukon RCMP and Whitehorse Fire Department told CBC they were not involved in the response.

McCarthy, who has owned the Super A since 2007, wrote that it would be "quite a while" before the store could fully reopen.

"We have gone through some good times and some rough times, but we are faced with our biggest challenge yet," the letter says. 

Besides getting the building repaired, McCarthy also said that he's concerned about the store's 25 staff, some of whom have been employed there for more than 20 years, who are now out of work. 

"My heart is with each and every one of them," he wrote. 

McCarthy didn't respond to CBC's requests for an interview before publication.

While the letter doesn't say how long repairs might take, it does say that the store's gas bar is expected to reopen "soon," and that the amount of support that McCarthy, his family and staff have received is "humbling." 

"Words cannot fully express how grateful we are to you all," the letter says. 

"We look forward to serving our community again."