A devastating fire has caused extensive damage to the much anticipated Miami Active Living Center.
Still under construction but not far from completion, the fully accessible building was far enough along in construction that a tour to highlight the progress was scheduled for next week Friday.
This morning around 5 am, RM of Thompson Reeve, Brian Callum says someone passing by the center noticed smoke and fire coming from the building and called 911. Callum says members from their local department arrived shortly after.
"The Miami Fire Department and the Roland Fire Department plus others have been fantastic here, they've been here since probably 5:30 this morning," said Callum. In addition to the two fire departments, Orchard Grain Farms came out with their personal water tanker to supply extra water for the fire fighting efforts.
As of noon today, July 12th, fire crews remained on the scene to ensure the fire did not reignite.
"It's a blow to the community, when you have something you're proud of that's going up and you want to see it finished, it's a big blow to the community," added Callum. "But, it is a building, no one has lost their life. We'll have to move on. It's a real step back for us."
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.
