A Thursday morning fire tore through part of one the Assiniboia West Community Centre locations.
A storage building in-between the two outdoor rinks went up in flames just after 1 a.m.
The two outdoor rinks also received some damage in the blaze, but the main community centre building was spared.
Sporting equipment and some benches in the equipment room were destroyed, but community member Don Rhoden said that’s the least of the loss.
“You could knock on every one of these doors and they’ve all probably had a kid who has gone through this community centre,” Rhoden said.
“It’s way more than just a building.”
Rhoden has been coaching and watching his three sons play hockey and soccer in the rinks and surrounding fields for years.
As he surveyed the damage with two of his sons on Thursday morning, he recalled memories of them warming their feet inside the building and of first hockey shutouts.
“I don’t know, I’m just kind of overwhelmed,” Rhoden said. “When I see this…it’s been a staple of the community for a very long time.”
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Neighbourhood member Sheryl Taylor echoed his sentiment.
“I grew up over there so I played sports here, my kids played sports here,” Taylor said. “I went to dances there and went to movies every Saturday.”
The city says no injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation.
According to the club’s website, Assiniboia West CC celebrated its 30th anniversary last Saturday.
There is another Assiniboia West CC location on Morgan Crescent.
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