WINNIPEG -- Families are being assured that child welfare services will “continue with as little disruption as possible” after a fire destroyed the head office of Sandy Bay Child and Family Services Inc.
Sandy Bay Chief Lance Roulette told CTV News he got a text from the Sandy Bay fire chief at around 5:20 a.m. Sunday.
“The building was a total loss,” Roulette said, giving kudos to outside communities who sent firefighters to help battle the blaze, which also damaged a water line to a neighbouring building.
He said fire departments from Langruth, Glenella, Amaranth and Alonsa came out to assist.
“It was really, really beautiful to see that,” he said, explaining the firefight lasted hours.
The Office of the Fire Commissioner is investigating the cause of the fire, which Roulette said will impact more than just CFS operations in the long run.
PLANS FOR COMMUNITY GO UP IN FLAMES
Roulette said a new CFS office is currently under construction and the community was planning to move its band office into the building that burned.
“We were hoping to centralize services using that building,” he said, explaining the fire would have a domino effect on the community of about 5,200 who live on reserve.
Once the current band office was vacated, there were plans to use it house an early learning program, freeing up classrooms in a crowded school, which the chief said would help reduce current class sizes and improve a high student-to-teacher ratio.
Roulette said as for the CFS operations, administrators are working to find space to set up satellite offices in the community. The agency also has offices in Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg.
A letter posted to the Facebook page for Sandy Bay First Nation from the CFS agency’s management and staff said in spite of the “tremendous loss” of the building due to fire, services will continue.
Calls to staff who were based in the office that was destroyed are being redirected to a sub-office in Portage la Prairie, said the letter.
