Oshawa Escape Rooms hit by suspected arson
Fire under investigation

Oshawa Escape Rooms owner James Wilkinson says he is heartbroken after his business caught fire this weekend. He says the memories made with his family at the business are irreplaceable. (Photo by Colin Williamson)
By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express
Local business owner James Wilkinson is “heartbroken” after fire swept through his building and destroyed everything he’s worked for over the past five years.
On the weekend in the early hours of Sunday morning, a fire broke out at Oshawa Escape Rooms, with two suspects reportedly fleeing the scene.
Oshawa Fire Services responded to the fire at 2:12 a.m., and fire fighters were able to contain the fire to Oshawa Escape Rooms, and no other businesses were affected in the area. The fire caused approximately $400,000 in damage.
The Ontario Fire Marshalls Office has been notified and an investigation will continue into the cause of the fire.
In a public statement, Oshawa Escape Rooms stated they are in “shock and disbelief.”
“The only thing we know is that there are men and women out there who do the hard work to make sure we all stay safe. To the Fire Dept and First Response Teams… We praise you and thank you for everything you did,” the statement reads.
Speaking with The Oshawa Express, owner Wilkinson says he is heartbroken at the damage done to his business.
“It’s heartbreaking. I have pictures of my nine-year-old, who was seven at the time, using the saw and helping me,” he says. “Every time there’s a new room, me and my baby girl go in there and build the new room and that’s the way it’s been for five years… I always let her get her signature in there.”
He says there was a lot of work put into the business, as he had to “fight tooth and nail” to even get it open. He even had to get it rezoned.
“It’s just a struggle seeing your life savings go into there, and having to keep your wife on a positive note when you’ve just put $90,000 and all of your savings into a business and three days go by without anybody calling or coming in, and you keep telling her it’s going to be okay,” he says.
He adds when he first opened the business, he had to pick up another job moving furniture in the daytime to pay the rent.
“I had to work to pay the rent there. I would work from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., get off and work at the escape room, and stay there until midnight hoping that somebody would call or come in,” he says.
Wilkonson says it’s hit them really hard and while he doesn’t like to think it’s personal, he believes it was intentional as the breakers were off, and “this was guaranteed” to not be an electrical fire.
Currently, the cause of the fire is being investigated by Durham Regional Police and the Ontario Fire Marshalls Office.