Ituna, Sask., hotel fire 'devastating for the whole community,' area resident says

The town of Ituna, Sask., has lost one of its landmark buildings after the hotel burned down on Thursday night.

Rick Wuschenny and his family are from Ituna. He now lives just south of town, but he previously spent about a year living at the hotel.

Wuschenny said the hotel was a place that brought everyone together.

"Everybody met at the bar," he said. "I spent many a night in that bar. a big part of your life goes up in flames."

He said before COVID-19, people would meet there for coffee in the morning, or to have lunch. At night, people would go to the bar to have a drink, play the VLT, shoot pool, play foosball and socialize.

"It's devastating for the whole community. Everybody has a memory from the bar."

RAW VIDEO: Fire destroys hotel in Ituna, Sask.

4 years ago

Duration 0:28

RAW VIDEO: Fire destroyed the Ituna Hotel on Dec. 10. 2020 (Adrienne Ivey/Facebook)

Wuschenny said two local contractors brought trackhoes into town to pull the burning rubble away from neighbouring buildings.

"That's what saved Main Street. If they didn't pull the burning building away from the next building that's half burnt, all that side of Main Street would have went up."

People in the town are wondering what will happen next, he said.

"Is the business going to rebuild? What's going to be there? You know, will we have a bar again? Will we have, you know, a place after after this COVID stuff blows over?"

He said people are also concerned about the economic impact of losing the hotel.

"It took away three or four jobs, just three or four paycheques that are gone from the community now."

The Ituna fire department said it was a structural fire that's under investigation and no injuries were reported.

The local fire department thanked the Kelliher and Melville fire departments for helping, and thanked the community for giving donations, asking how they could helpand bringing water, coffee and food for the workers.

"We will still monitor the scene throughout the day and weekend," the fire department said in a statement. "It will be smoking/steaming for a few days."

Ituna is about 135 km northeast of Regina.

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