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
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.