A picture taken at the time of Saturday's fire. (Submitted/ Gord Kinhnicki))

By Nigel Maxwell

Fire investigation

Shell Lake curling rink fire ‘suspicious’: RCMP

Aug 17, 2021 | 10:00 AM

The fire that consumed the curling rink in Shell Lake last weekend has been deemed suspicious in nature.

Shellbrook RCMP will now be assisting a fire scene investigator from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency with the investigation.

The fire itself started around 5:30 p.m. Saturday evening. When RCMP officers arrived on scene, there was heavy smoke coming from outside the building. The local community’s fire department was assisted by the Spiritwood department, as well as farmers in the area. Fortunately there were no injuries reported.

Prior to the fire, the curling rink had been a staple of the community since 1967. During an interview with paNOW on Monday, Mayor Anita Weiers described the incident as devastating for the community.

“It was the hub of activity. Everyone would go there for coffee and chat, and now its gone. So people are very upset,” she said.

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In a Facebook post, local realtor Heather Sarrazin described the building as an iconic landmark.

“So many of us threw our first rocks and learned the love of the game. Many laughs and triumphs shared between communities here,” she said.

There are no plans at this time to rebuild, however paNOW has learned there is discussion amongst local community groups with respect to initiating fundraising.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell