EDMONTON- A small Hamlet northwest of Edmonton is coming together to rebuild, after fire destroyed a major source of revenue for the community.
“It’s a nightmare right now. We’ve got to start from scratch,” said Jan Harint, a volunteer firefighter in Neerlandia, located about 20 kilometres north of Barrhead.
Two weeks ago, the Neerlandia Co-op Home and Garden Centre was completely destroyed by fire.
“We had flames out of the roof… about 80 to 100 feet in the air we had flames,” explained Barrhead Deputy Fire Chief Gary Hobe. “Lots of little explosions going on inside because it’s a variety store.”
One of the first firefighters on scene was Harint, who has also worked in the Co-op’s hardware department for three years.
“It’s like fighting your own house fire. I work there, it’s my living and the Co-op is a big part of this community.”
Not only was the Co-op a big part of the Neerlandia community, it also served many surrounding areas like Barrhead, Westlock, even Edmonton.
“We sell whatever is needed in this area from fertilizer to nuts, bolts, hardware. It’s a big store,” said Harint.
“A hit like this to the community is devastating,” said John Whittaker, fire chief for Barrhead Town and County Fire Services.
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“This was a pretty major economic hub for them and a hub for the community itself, for people getting together,” Hobe explained.
The business has temporarily set up offices in nearby trailers and relocated some of its supplies to an old building on the other side of town.
Two weeks later, a pile of rubble sits on the site of the old Co-op. But the small farming community isn’t letting the loss get them down; they say it’s only fuelled their ambition to rebuild.
“I know this community is strong and they’ll pull back from it,” said Hobe.
“The good thing they have going for them is they are a strong community, they are a great bunch of people,” Whittaker expressed. “Like most Albertans… everybody is banding together. It’ll make the community stronger.”
“Something good will come out of it. We’ve got to just look over this hump,” Harint added. “This building was built in faith and we’ll rebuild it in faith too. We’re a strong community.”
Damage to the building is estimated between $4 million and $6 million. Officials say the business brings in tens of millions of dollars each year.
With files from Jenna Bridges, Global News.
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