A Golf clubhouse in Morden, Manitoba, was gutted by fire Sunday for the second time in less than four years, just days after celebrating its reopening following a previous disaster.
Minnewasta Golf and Country Club general manager Greg Hesom told CTV News the fire started in the kitchen around 1:30 a.m.
Hesom called the fire “absolutely devastating.”
“We celebrated the grand opening of this building on New Year’s Eve, and five days later all that optimism was gone,” he said.
The clubhouse and restaurant had previously suffered significant damage during a major fire in November 2021. After several years of rebuilding, supported by donations from the community, the town had welcomed a new beginning for the club.
“It’s a deeply sad start to the year 2025,” said Nancy Penner, Mayor of Morden.
Photos shared with CTV News show columns of smoke rising from the building as crews battled the fire.
Both Hesom and Penner praised the volunteer firefighters’ efforts, with Penner calling their actions “heroic.”
Although the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, Hesom believes it was likely accidental in origin.
“I strongly doubt that it is of a criminal nature,” he added, specifying that the investigation is still ongoing.
No one was in the clubhouse at the time and no injuries were reported.
Although Hesom cannot estimate the amount of damage, he estimates that the building is “probably 70 percent destroyed” and could be considered a total loss.
CTV News has reached out to Morden Fire and Rescue for more information.
Community solidarity
This is far from the first time Morden has stepped up for Minnewasta.
Over the past four years, club members and locals have raised funds to rebuild the clubhouse, help for which Hesom feels extremely grateful.
“We live in a great community that was very supportive of us during the first intervention, and we have to hope that it happens again,” an emotional Hesom said. “We will have to find a way to rebuild as soon as possible. You just have to look to the future and start again. »
However, Hesom emphasized that the loss is not limited to the structure.
“We employ a lot of people in the kitchen, and many of them are new immigrants who are just starting their lives here in Canada, living paycheck to paycheck,” he explained. “They now find themselves unemployed in a foreign country. »
“The buildings can be replaced, but people’s lives were affected today,” he added.
Anticipation for the 2025 golf season
Although Penner believes the golf course could open this year, it represents a major blow to the club and community as the 2025 season approaches.
“This setback is considerable,” she said. “It is in these moments that the strength of our community is most revealed, and I have no doubt that the club will be able to rebuild, get back on its feet and come back even stronger. »
She added that it will likely be a few years before the clubhouse is operational again, but the city is determined to bring it back to life.
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