‘Sad day for our community’: Rennie loses hotel, post office to fire

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This article was published 08/12/2022 (1351 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The hub of the town of Rennie has been destroyed by fire.

The Rennie Hotel, and the Canada Post outlet adjoining it, are gone after a blaze broke out inside the structure Thursday at about 3:50 a.m.

RCMP said there were no injuries. The hotel was vacant, after being closed about a month ago, a local official said.

Donna Kurlowich has lived in the tiny community some 100 kilometres east of Winnipeg for about 50 years. On Wednesday, she could see the hotel from her kitchen window. Now, all she can see is the rubble.

“It’s a pretty sad day for our community,” Kurlowich said. “It was the community hub and it still is in summer time. Every Friday after work, we would all go there.

“It’s pretty sad that it’s done.”

Kurlowich said the Canada Post outlet has temporarily moved to the community club.

“There are quite a few people who get mail there,” she said. “Luckily (the postmaster) said there wasn’t too many packages in there. I hope we don’t lose the post office. The next closest is Whitemouth, and that’s 25 minutes away.”

The hotel was built in 1939 on Highway 44, what was then the Trans-Canada Highway before it was moved further south to where it is today.

Three generations of the Kuz family operated the hotel — a bar with rooms above — starting in 1952 until selling it last year.

Neither former owner Ryan Kuz nor the current owner could be reached for comment.

Rural Municipality of Reynolds councillor Blaine Webster said he was sad as he watched flames take away the place where locals would gather for a drink with friends. Webster said fire crews pushed down remaining walls after putting the blaze out.

“It has been completely destroyed,” Webster said. “Only a brand new building could be put up there now.

“This is devastating for our community. It will be greatly missed.”

Webster said the current owner had closed the hotel, and a nearby gas station, about a month ago.

No cause for the fire has been determined and a spokesman for the Office of the Fire Commissioner said the incident is under investigation.

Meanwhile, RCMP said a nearby fire, about four hours earlier, had local crews extinguish a blaze on a Canadian Pacific Rail locomotive.

RCMP said no one was injured in the fire, about five km west of Rennie.

“The local fire department responded to the incident and was able to extinguish the fire,” CP Rail spokesman Salem Woodrow said. “CP thanks the fire department for their quick response.”

The fire was “mechanical in nature” and the Transportation Board of Canada is investigating.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca