Regina has lost a piece of its history.
Fire crews were called to the Travellers Building on the 1800-block of Broad Street Tuesday night around 10 p.m.
They battled the stubborn fire for 10 hours, dealing with frozen equipment, heavy smoke and high winds.
Crews had to use thermal imaging cameras to find hot spots in the building because they couldn’t go inside.
“It helps them locate fires if they’re in walls ceilings, floors, etc. It’s for their own safety so they don’t come upon a collapse issue or a soft floor and it helps them get to the seat of the fire quicker as well,” Ryba said.
The iconic building was one of the last commercial buildings opened in the late twenties, at a time of economic prosperity and population growth for the city, right before the Great Depression and Second World War.
It was also the home of the last remaining ballroom dance hall in Regina with a 1920s-era sprung horsehair floor.
The Travellers Building was recognized as a heritage structure in 2001. Although it had largely been abandoned in recent years, the city said it was keeping a close eye on it.
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“The building has been assessed, and it had been determined that there was no imminent danger. We have been in ongoing discussions with the owner to ensure that the property was kept to a condition that did not create a public safety hazard,” Louise Folk, Regina’s development services director, said.
However, many in the community voiced concern that the building wasn’t properly maintained.
“It was kind of a dive,” Guy Mastrangelo said. “It was pigeon heaven. They were becoming a health hazard.”
Meanwhile, others say the loss of the Travellers Building takes away from Regina’s history.
“I think it has a lot of historical significance in Regina, it was a really neat space, and had a long history, and just had a lot of potential,” Kathleen Wilson said.
According to a real estate website, the property was listed for nearly $1.6 million.
Demolition on the building began Wednesday afternoon.
“That’s part of the investigation process and part of public safety. So right now we have four free standing brick walls that are upwards to around 25 to 30 feet. They can pose a risk of collapse,” acting fire chief Layne Jackson said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. There were no reported injuries.
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