Cultus Lake – (Cultus Lake Community Association) Details are few at press time.
On Monday Night ( February 17) the Feral Bee Artisan Market was lost to a devastating fire.
For those familiar with Cultus Lake the building was located next to Kent’s Ice Cream and east of the Cultus Lake Plaza.
From CLCA: Our heartfelt sympathies to all the Artisans that have been effected and to the owner Michelle.
From The Bees Knees Organics – A fire took our whole business last night along with dozens of other small businesses in the space. We won’t be filling any orders for sometime. Trying to figure out next steps. Thankfully no one was hurt.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
From Michelle Lemieux:
I was woken up at 1:20am by a phone call from the RCMP saying my business was on fire and at that point it was fully engulfed in flames. I packed my family up and when we got there the Cultus Lake Fire Department had completely contained the fire and kept it out of the surrounding forest and off the adjacent structures of Kent’s Ice Cream. No one was in the building or was hurt. I don’t know the cause of the fire yet. It was still smouldering and an excavator was moving into place when I left at 3 am. I opened The Feral Bee Artisan & Farm Store in July 2024 with the main goal of supporting our local community of artisans, farmers and small producers. It was a much needed and loved hub for our lake community. We had all kinds of plans in place for our upcoming seasonal markets and year round market. We hosted over 30 events and classes in those short months and were just getting our footing. I have lost both my businesses The Feral Bee and The Bees Knees Organics in this tragedy. The 30+ vendors who have been there beside me on this incredible journey have also lost all of their products and future income from this business. I’m not only heartbroken for me and my family, but also for the vendors and community alike. Everyday customers shared fond memories of the previous businesses the barn hosted over the years. I’m still in shock and quite devastated to say the least. I put my heart and soul into this project along with the exceptional support of my family friends, community and vendors. As I figure out next steps I would like to thank the entire community for believing in my vision and supporting me, the artisans and farmers. The outpouring of love and support through messages and phone calls has filled my heart, thank you to every person that has reached out.
Michelle Lemieux Owner The Feral Bee Artisan & Farm Market And The Bees Knees Organics
