Hotel owner in shock after fire destroys property, post office
An early morning fire destroyed a landmark in a small southeast Manitoba community.
According to RCMP, officers from the Whitemouth and Lac du Bonnet detachments were called to a fire at the hotel and post office in Rennie, Man. around 3:50 a.m. Fire crews from Whitemouth, Whiteshell and Reynolds also responded to the incident in the community located about 130 kilometres east of Winnipeg on Highway 44.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation but the loss is already being felt by people in the area.
“It’s going to be tough for sure,” said Ryan Kuz, the postmaster in Rennie and a previous owner of the hotel. “So many good memories, so much history in this building. So many people probably had their first drinks, probably a couple years too early. It’s going to be tough.”
No one was hurt as the hotel was empty but the fire spread fast, destroying the 83-year-old structure which was also home to a restaurant and bar. It has been a fixture in the community just outside the entrance to Whiteshell Provincial Park.
The Rennie Hotel went up in flames on Dec. 8, 2022. (Source: Colleen Kuz Gresko)
Carlin Giesbrecht, the deputy chief of the Whitemouth Fire Department, said when crews arrived at the fire, it was in its beginning stages.
"The guys made entry and knocked the fire down a bit but unfortunately it had already spread into interior walls, attic spaces," he said in an interview in Rennie.
"We were fortunate that we had the RM of Reynolds Fire Department help us, as well as the Whiteshell (Fire Department) out of West Hawk came to help us so we can rotate guys out of the weather, keep them somewhat warm."
He said crews were also called to another fire earlier on the Canadian Pacific (CP) railway tracks about five kilometres west of town.
According to information from RCMP and CP, a mechanical issue caused a fire on a locomotive around 11:30 a.m. near Rennie. No one was hurt.
Fire crews from Whitemouth responded, extinguished the fire and went home only to be dispatched back to Rennie hours later for the fire at the hotel and post office.
The aftermath of a fire at the Rennie Hotel and post office on Dec. 8, 2022 (Image source: Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg)
Kuz’s family bought it in 1952 and owned the hotel, which was built in 1939, for around 30 years.
They sold it and bought it back in 2002 before selling it again just over a year ago while Kuz continued working in the building as the postmaster.
“And we just recently sold in 2021, hoping for the new people to have success but this isn’t so great,” Kuz said.
The new owners, who declined comment on camera, took over the hotel in July 2021. They said it had been closed for the past two months since Sep. 30 due to staffing challenges. But they said they planned to reopen next week just in time for the start of the snowmobile season.
Uma Bilimoria, who ran the hotel with her husband, and also owns the Rennie gas station said she’s shocked and it feels like the land below their feet has been taken out.
"The last year, the hotel was so good. It was up and running. It was doing so good. The people were very happy," she said, adding it was an entertainment hub in the area.
"It's a really big loss for the community."
Russ Gawluk, reeve of the RM of Reynolds, said when open, the hotel was a popular place to stop for snowmobilers in the winter and park visitors in the summer.
“It’s a huge loss," Gawluk said. “Over the decades it’s been a hub for people to get together either coming to or leaving the Whiteshell.”
Shannon Amos, who’s lived in Rennie for 15 years, said losing the hotel leaves a hole in the community.
“Everybody gathered here,” Amos said. “The vendor in the summer time. In the winter time, it was always busy, snowmobilers came from all around for wing nights and gatherings but this is devastating.”
Along with the hotel, the post office located in the building was destroyed.
Weeks away from Christmas, Kuz, the postmaster, estimates up to a couple dozen parcels along with up to 60 letters were lost in the fire.
The post office serves people living in about 140 homes and cottages, he said.
“They will find out,” Kuz said, speaking about the fire. “I think most of it was Christmas presents, a lot of Amazon packages of course but other than that everything seems to be regular mail.”
Kuz said it’s a tough time of year to have a fire at a post office.
He said anyone who lost any mail or parcels will be able to contact Canada Post to make a claim. He said a temporary post office is being set up in the community centre with plans to build a new one in the future.
There’s no word yet from the new owners on what they plan to do about the loss of their hotel but people in the community hope something new can go up in its place.
The RCMP said an investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing with assistance from the Office of the Fire Commissioner.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Manitoba mom praises quick-thinking fire department for freeing daughter stuck in playground equipment
A Manitoba mother is praising firefighters for their quick work in helping her daughter who got stuck at a playground in Lorette, Man.