Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie has expressed his condolences to the City of Meadow Lake after they lost the Meadow Lake & District Arena in a major fire on the weekend.
Leslie spoke on the topic at the start of Battleford’s town council meeting Monday.
“Thoughts go out to the mayor and council and the residents of Meadow Lake, as they did lose their community centre and rink,” said Leslie.
“To lose that type of infrastructure, facility in your community is never easy, so thoughts go out to Meadow Lake.”
The fire, which destroyed the 45-year-old facility in the early hours of Sunday morning, is deemed suspicious. According to Saskatchewan RCMP, the initial investigation revealed the fire appeared to have been set in a storage shed next to the arena. An older model grey truck was observed leaving the scene prior to police responding.
The city of Meadow Lake put out this statement shortly after the fire:
“Last night our community experienced an incredible loss when a fire destroyed the Meadow Lake & District Arena. This arena has been at the heart of Meadow Lake for 45 years. We often heard from visitors what a beautiful and well-kept arena this was for its age, which is a testament to how well it was loved by the community. Our arena hosted hockey tournaments, rodeos, markets, and concerts – events that brought us all together as friends and neighbours.
“Thankfully, no one was hurt in the fire. We want to send our thanks out to the firefighters and emergency responders who put in long hours and kept the fire from spreading further. Eventually we will need to look to the future but today, let’s honour our good memories and grieve the loss of this part of our shared history.”
