Manitoba community rallies for those who lost homes in devastating Christmas blaze
Westlake-Gladstone council to hold special meeting on Tuesday
Stacey Waldner was woken by a series of loud noises around 3 a.m. Christmas morning.
She looked out the window of her home in the central Manitoba town of Gladstone and saw police outside the hotel across the street.
Initially she thought a fight had broken out at the bar but then "we had heard noises. They sounded like gunshot noises, like something exploding," Waldner said Monday.
Volunteer firefighters from Gladstone and the nearby communities of Plumas and Neepawa were battling a fire that had engulfed Gladstone's historic hotel and neighbouring apartments in a converted former pharmacy.
"All of a sudden there was pounding on my door and it was the firemen, and they said, 'we might need to evacuate you,'" Waldner said.
A few minutes later, firefighters returned and told Waldner that she and her family needed to leave their home.
Waldner's family drove to her sister's house, but not before witnessing the heritage hotel collapse.
"I think it's awful. It's so sad," she said.
Waldner said the hotel owners were renovating a portion of the space with the hope of turning it into more apartments after having done similar work to the pharmacy.
The adjacent Galloway Building, which also houses apartments, was badly damaged by smoke and water.
The fire left one person is dead and at least 15 others without a home, Westlake-Gladstone Mayor Daryl Shipman said Sunday.
Shipman has called a special council meeting for Tuesday to discuss support for people who lost their homes in the community, which is located about 125 kilometres west of Winnipeg.
He hopes to be able to create a list of what people need and set up collection points in the rural municipality where donations can be dropped off.
"The initial interest into supporting these displaced residents is overwhelming and greatly appreciated," Shipman said in a Facebook post.
The Salvation Army in Neepawa is also pitching in to help where needed, said Amanda Naughton-Gale, the organization's community ministries director.
She said the fire was an "absolute tragic situation," especially during the holiday season.
But she knows the community spirit of Manitobans will shine through in an effort to help all affected by the fire.
"In rural Manitoba, in general, that's what most communities do," Naughton-Gale said. "If your neighbours have faced a tragedy, people are there to help to pick up pieces, to offer assistance in any way we can."
The Gladstone Treasure Chest will also lend its support. The non-profit organization said in a statement to CBC that "in this time of tragedy, we will continue to support our community to the best of our ability."
The RCMP has not responded to a request for information about the loss of life in the fire.
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With files from Rachel Bergen and Erin Brohman