'Heart wrenching': Meadow Lake bids farewell to decades-old community arena destroyed in blaze
Merlin Seymour has been mayor for just under two years and when he saw the town’s 45-year-old arena going up in flames, he thought of how “the arena is such a big part of the community and is the heart of the community.”
The community's RCMP detachment is investigating the blaze that destroyed the arena early Sunday morning.
While Seymour says he's confident the city will have a new arena at some point, he knows there’s a long road ahead.
Meadow Lake City council is meeting in the coming days, to discuss what the plan will be.
Seymour told CTV News that there was a lot of memorabilia lost in the fire including jerseys of notable local players, some of whom moved on to the NHL.
"So definitely a big loss of the memorabilia and the memories of the arena," Seymour says.
While his first concern was for the safety of everyone and he says he's glad no one got hurt, he realizes it will be hard to replace the items lost inside.
Jennifer Voth has lived in Meadow Lake for 35 years and when she woke up Sunday morning to see that the rink was gone, she says, it was “heart wrenching.”
At first she saw her newsfeed fill up with photos of the charred arena.
"It was so bad, I didn’t recognize it so I texted my friend and asked 'What are you talking about it?' She said, 'It’s gone, it’s totally gone.'"
She said her four kids didn’t play hockey, but they still attended many events in the arena which she says was in great shape for it’s age and had undergone renovations in recent years.
Voth says what “added to the sadness,” was that with COVID restrictions easing up, people were excited to get back to the arena more and attend events.
According to RCMP, the fire appears to have been set in a nearby storage shed.
An "older model grey truck" was reportedly spotted leaving the scene shortly before police arrived, RCMP said in a news release.
A concession stand that shares a parking lot with the arena was also broken into on Sunday, according to RCMP.
Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact police.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday morning as explosions could be heard near a major air base near Isfahan, raising fears of a possible Israeli strike following Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.