Gallery: Windsor Hotel destroyed by fire By: Winnipeg Free Press Posted: Last Modified:

The former Windsor Hotel (187 Garry St.) in downtown Winnipeg was reduced to rubble Wednesday, after firefighters scrambled to contain an inferno blazing within.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/09/2023 (1076 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The former Windsor Hotel (187 Garry St.) in downtown Winnipeg was reduced to rubble Wednesday, after firefighters scrambled to contain an inferno blazing within.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Fire crews battle a fire at the Windsor Hotel Wednesday.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Fire crews battle a fire at the Windsor Hotel Wednesday.
(Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)
(Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)
(Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)
(Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)
Onlookers watch as fire crews work to put out a fire that engulfed the Windsor Hotel Wednesday. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)
Onlookers watch as fire crews work to put out a fire that engulfed the Windsor Hotel Wednesday. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)
Parts of the south wall of the hotel collapsed onto parked cars next to the building as water trucks worked to contain the fire throughout the afternoon. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)
Parts of the south wall of the hotel collapsed onto parked cars next to the building as water trucks worked to contain the fire throughout the afternoon. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)
(Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
(Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
(Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
(Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
(Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
(Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
Winnipeg fire crews continue to pour water onto the remains of the closed Windsor Hotel. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
Winnipeg fire crews continue to pour water onto the remains of the closed Windsor Hotel. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
Smoke blanketed downtown and surrounding neighbourhoods throughout the afternoon. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
Smoke blanketed downtown and surrounding neighbourhoods throughout the afternoon. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
Winnipeg fire crews continue to pour water onto the remains of the closed Windsor Hotel. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
Winnipeg fire crews continue to pour water onto the remains of the closed Windsor Hotel. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
Shortly after noon, a portion of the south wall crumbled, raining bricks and debris down on a row of cars parked in an adjacent surface lot. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
Shortly after noon, a portion of the south wall crumbled, raining bricks and debris down on a row of cars parked in an adjacent surface lot. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
Flames and smoke continued to pour from the windows, with crews dousing the structure from aerial ladders. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
Flames and smoke continued to pour from the windows, with crews dousing the structure from aerial ladders. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Fire crews battle a fire at the Windsor Hotel Wednesday. September 13, 2023
RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Fire crews battle a fire at the Windsor Hotel Wednesday. September 13, 2023
The remains of the Windsor Hotel after it burned down Wednesday. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
The remains of the Windsor Hotel after it burned down Wednesday. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
As with other buildings reduced to rubble in recent months, it’s not yet clear when the Windsor Hotel debris will be removed. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free press)

As with other buildings reduced to rubble in recent months, it’s not yet clear when the Windsor Hotel debris will be removed. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free press)

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The remains of the Windsor Hotel after it burned down Wednesday. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)
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Parts of the south wall of the hotel collapsed onto parked cars next to the building as water trucks worked to contain the fire throughout the afternoon. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)

Gallery: Windsor Hotel destroyed by fire

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The former Windsor Hotel (187 Garry St.) in downtown Winnipeg was reduced to rubble Wednesday, after firefighters scrambled to contain an inferno blazing within.

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SUPPLIED Lafreniere family. From left to right is the mom, Wendy, their daughter Ciara, and Dennis on the right. In the front middle is their other daughter Janel. The family lost their home on highway 59 between Selkirk and Libau in a fire Sunday night. They have received lots of support from friends and family, including the motorcycle community which has raised almost $18,000 for them.

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Dennis Lafreniere and his wife didn’t expect to celebrate 27 years of marriage Thursday in a Selkirk hotel room while reeling from a recent house fire.

The couple and their two daughters lost their home last Sunday in a raging fire that left nothing behind, but overwhelming support from multiple communities has kept them afloat.

“It’s devastating when you don’t have any clothes, any medication, all of that stuff, and it’s just so overwhelming the next morning. It’s just nasty,” Lafreniere said.

Investigators suspect the fire was caused by a fridge, freezer and battery charger that were all plugged into the same electrical line that got overheated. The house, located on Highway 59 between Selkirk and Libau, is a farmhouse built in 1943, and investigators think worn-out electrical lines also contributed to the fire, said Lafreniere.

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I’d never have reacted so cruelly if my date had gotten sick at a restaurant.

This guy has since called to see if I’m “back to normal.” He casually asked if I wanted to give it another try. I just didn’t have the desire to talk with him anymore, so I hung up. Is this my problem? Am I “over-reacting” as he has told other people I know?