The historic Chief Chiniki restaurant on the TransCanada Highway has been completely gutted by a fire, leaving a community in shock and many out of work.
The building went up in the 80s in honour of former Nakoda Chief John Chiniki, and stood on a hilltop overlooking the highway west of Calgary at the Morley turnoff.
The Nakoda Fire Department said they were called to the site just after midnight on Tuesday. The building was fully engulfed in flames and they called for reinforcements, but it was too late.
“We made a couple of attempts to enter the building,” said Lionel Crow, captain of the Nakoda Fire Department. “By that time about half of the building was already gone and the heat was already intense so I backed out the firefighters.”
Losing the restaurant is a shock to band residents, who said not only did they lose the building, but also a part of their history.
“It really hurts,” said Lisa Powderface, who worked at the restaurant and is now one of a dozen people out of work. “It hit me last night when I first found out.”
“When you lose a significant meeting place it’s very sad for the community,” added Shirley Ketterer, an administrator with the Chiniki First Nation. “This place in particular has a lot of heartfelt emotions for the elders, so it’s a sad day for the Chiniki First Nation.”
Investigators are now trying to determine what caused the fire.
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