Editors note: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the date of the incident. The fire took place July 23.
ATHABASCA — When firefighters arrived at the intersection of 50 Street and 50 Avenue in Athabasca early on Tuesday morning, the red-and-sand brick façade of the Grand Union Hotel stood in its usual spot, shrouded in a growing cloud of dirty smoke.
Nine hours later, those same red-and-sand bricks haphazardly lined the sidewalk and roadway of 50 Avenue, washed by the pooling water trickling from the crumpled, smoky remains of one of the town’s oldest landmarks.
“That building used to be iconic,” said Regina Shaw, long-time resident, business owner, and witness to the July 23 demise of the historic hotel. “It is really sad to see a building like that go down like this, because it was such a place to be in its day.”
According to Travis Shalapay, Athabasca County’s regional fire chief, crews received a report of smoke emanating from the windows and chimney stacks of the Grand Union Hotel at 5:41 a.m. The Town of Athabasca fire department responded first and called for additional crews shortly after arrival.
Auxiliary trucks, volunteers, and equipment from the Boyle, Colinton, Rochester, Baptiste Lake, Richmond Park, Grassland, as well as a ladder truck from Lac La Biche were soon on scene, adding much needed man- and hose-power to the team assembling outside the hotel.
By 6:30 a.m., 13 Town of Athabasca staff had hit the adjacent streets and alleyways, erecting barricades and redirecting incoming traffic to avoid the intersection where the emergency scene was rapidly unfolding.
As crews gathered to start what Town fire chief Jason Sturrock described as a defensive attack on the blaze, so did the crowds of locals and visitors. People packed in pairs and groups along 50 Avenue to watch as the brown smoke gave way to jets of flames along the roof, snapping photos and streaming live videos on social media.
Matthew Kryzanowski, safety and lot foreman with Wild Rose Midway, said the scene he and other carnival crew members awoke to on Tuesday was nothing short of a surprise. Members arrived in town ahead of their Friday start date and found themselves in close proximity to the blaze.
“It was about 7:30 this morning when I got up, and we saw the building on fire,” said Kryzanowski, who’s been in the travelling carnival business for years.
“It was pretty crazy, actually. We never really expected to see something like that — we’ve never really ever seen something like that.”
A community on edge
As the morning wore on, the tower of smoke climbing above Athabasca’s downtown core grew, as did the number of spectators lining nearby streets, alleys, and roofs. Power to all businesses along the east side of 50 Street and the west side of 49 Street had been cut, and many anxious business owners and employees were gathered to watch the blaze.
Around 11 a.m., a partial collapse in the southwest corner of the building prompted police and firefighters to urge residents and bystanders to retreat to a safer radius, anxious the crumbling walls of the hotel would damage and potentially ignite the Husky Gas Station next door.
The Town of Athabasca issued a water restriction at the same time, asking residents to cease all non-essential use while firefighters pulled from the reservoir via hydrants. Two 4x4’s courtesy of Trident Pumps were also on scene to allow crews to pull water directly from the river.
Falcon Equipment Rentals brought porta-potty to the Riverfront for emergency crews, and town staff continued to support the volunteer responders, setting up a rehab station complete with water, Gatorade, and later sandwiches thanks to Van Hout Bakery.
Patry Contracting Inc. volunteered an excavator to assist with the demolition of the hotel, a measure deemed necessary in order to prevent the spread of the fire to neighbouring Athabasca staple Bubel’s.
Gerry Bubel, owner of the long-standing store, said the events that unfolded mere inches from the walls of his livelihood were anxiety-producing, and mounted on devastating.
“I came down the hill, and all I saw was smoke,” said Bubel in a July 26 interview.
“I thought I was finished, I thought I was done.”
After being turned away from the front door smashed in by emergency crews, he tried to find other vantage points nearby, but said he was faced with a choice: either watch his life go up in flames or turn around and go home.
“I didn’t want to see it burn,” he said.
The store, which will celebrate its 65 anniversary in October, carries a history close to Bubel’s heart.
“(My dad) bought it in 1958. We moved here in 1959 — I was 10 days old,” he recalled. “I grew up with the store. It meant everything to me. My mother taught me how to do the buying, my father taught me how to do the books.”
Though Bubel is awaiting the final word on the extent of the damage to the north wall and roof, the inside of the store was deemed to be free of smoke and fire damage.
Replacement doors were installed the very next day thanks to Athabasca Glass & Mirror, and a myriad of other local organizations have helped out getting Bubel’s back up and running.
Bubel described the support of both businesses and buyers in the community as “unbelievable,” and said a Facebook post made after the fire has garnered almost 250 responses from supporters and shoppers.
The store owner said he was thankful crews were not only able to save his livelihood, but two very precious parts of his family legacy kept in the store — his parents' ashes. He said the thought of losing everything, including the remains of his parents, was hard to describe.
“It’s like someone turned the well off, and now, all of a sudden, it’s opened up again. It’s like your life is flashing in front of you,” said Bubel. “Like your dream is gone.”
The Rotary Club of Athabasca clock on the boulevard facing the hotel read 2:30 p.m. by the time the hotel was reduced to a pile of smoking, smouldering rubble. Emergency crews remained on scene to continue dousing the site as spectators dispersed.
In an update after the demolition of the structure, Sturrock said an inspector was on the way to start an investigation. The chief also expressed his gratitude for the community’s support of the firefighting crews, comprised completely of local volunteers.
