Arson charge laid in fire that burned landmark Manitoba hotel to the ground
The aftermath of a fire at the Rennie Hotel and post office on Dec. 8, 2022 (File Image: Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg)
A 64-year-old man is facing an arson charge after a landmark hotel in a small Manitoba community went up in flames.
RCMP say Pelle Lambiase, 64, from Rennie, Man. was arrested and charged with arson in connection with the fire that destroyed the Rennie Hotel late last year.
He was released, and is scheduled to appear in court in Beausejour, Man. in May, police said.
None of the charges have been proven in court.
The incident dates back to Dec. 8, 2022, when Mounties responded to a structure fire at the 83-year-old hotel.
Fire crews from Whitemouth, Whiteshell and Reynolds also came to help battle the flames.
The building was empty at the time of the fire and no one was hurt.
Emergency crews said the fire spread fast, destroying the decades-old structure which was also home to a post office, restaurant and bar. It had been a fixture in the community just outside the entrance to Whiteshell Provincial Park, about 130 kilometres east of Winnipeg on Highway 44.
The Office of the Fire Commissioner said days later the fire was deliberately set, and an investigation was ongoing.
- With files from Josh Crabb
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