Stony Plain curling rink destroyed by fire
Firefighters couldn't stop a large blaze at Stony Plain’s Westridge Curling Club from destroying the facility Wednesday night.
According to town officials, the fire started at around 6 p.m. inside the building and quickly spread across the roof. Dozens of people came out to watch the fire as crews attempted to douse it from the ground and above with ladder trucks.
In total, six fire trucks and 24 firefighters from the Stony Plain Fire Department and Spruce Grove Fire Services were called to the scene.
The 63-year-old building had been home to 220 curling club members.
"It is with a heavy heart that we have to tell you that we have lost our curling club in a fire today. It is a complete loss," Westridge Curling Club president Kevin Hedley said in a statement on Facebook.
"Thank you all for your support and making this club what it is."
An overhead view of the damage to the Stony Plain Westridge Curling Club (CTV News Edmonton/Cam Wiebe)
Stony Plain mayor William Choy called it a staple that he, like many others in the community, had grown up using.
"I remember as a kid going to the rink with my phys ed class and learning how to curl," he told CTV News Edmonton, noting the community was collectively grieving.
"We'll take a couple days to live that a little bit and understand it and come to the reality and grips of that, and then from there, as I say, we'll just get together with the curling club, sit down, and make some plans."
He promised on behalf of the town: "We will rebuild, and we will assist the curling club in any way that we can. And we'll make sure that there is curling back in Stony Plain."
INVESTIGATION TO BE DONE
Neither official speculated on what caused the fire, but Hedley promised to keep the community informed as an investigation is done.
The building had been empty and there were no reported injuries, according to Stony Plain Fire Chief Trevor Mistal.
Crews were still working as of 7:30 p.m. Smoke from the fire was visible from as far away as Devon, about 30 kilometres southeast of Stony Plain.
RCMP and Peace Officers closed the area to traffic and pedestrians.
According to the FortisAlberta website, the fire caused an unplanned power outage affecting 26 customers. The company was working to restore power.
The fire investigation will begin when the fire is contained, according to town officials.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.