Ochapowace Communiplex destroyed by fire

Members of Saskatchewan’s Ochapowace First Nation are reeling following the loss of their arena and community centre.

The Fred Bear Communiplex was completely destroyed following a fire on Mar. 31.

The fire reportedly started that morning after an employee hit a gas line with a backhoe. Though firefighters from neighbouring communities joined in and helped to battle the blaze, the building burned to the ground because of the gas which accelerated the fire.
“It sure is a huge loss,” said Ochapowace’s acting chief Ross Allary.

The local rink, which was built in 1985, had a rather active minor hockey program. Players from surrounding First Nations also participated in Ochapowace’s leagues.
The rink and community centre also hosted numerous community events, feasts and even funerals.

“There was always something going on there,” Allary said.

Allary added the plan is to now build a new arena on the Ochapowace First Nation. But he said the new facility might have to be in a new location because of extensive damage to the land where the rink/community centre stood.

Allary said he doesn’t know how soon a new facility could be built.

“We’re not sure,” he said. “We’re just in the planning stages. We have no details.”

Allary added that a planning committee was scheduled to meet to discuss the situation in mid-April. But that meeting was postponed, probably until some point in late April, because of the floods that were threatening the First Nation as well as several other Prairie communities this spring.

Allary said the flooding situation in his community was the worst it has been in about 50 years.

“Everybody is out there right now helping to sand bag,” he told Sage on Apr. 18.

The threat of floods was another piece of bad news for his community, Allary said. But local residents were remaining upbeat.

“The spirits are quite high and everybody is willing to help,” he said.

And once they can turn their attention again to rebuilding their local rink/community centre, Allary said Ochapowace residents can expect it to cost about $5 million. He said perhaps about one-third of this cost will come from insurance.

Some members of the First Nation’s planning committee will also be responsible for fundraising.

Allary said it was difficult to predict how soon a new facility could be built, but he hopes it’s sooner rather than later.  

“We have an excellent sports program for all aged children,” he said.

Now some of those participants might have to travel a bit to continue playing. Allary said officials from Whitewood, which is located 14 kilometres away, have made a generous offer.

“They extended an invitation for us to go there,” he said.
Allary added that an agreement could easily be reached to allow both communities to continue operating all of their athletic programs, at least on a temporary basis.

The fire will not affect the Ochapowace Thunder, a Junior B hockey club that competes in the Prairie Junior Hockey League. That’s because this club actually plays its home games in neighbouring Lebret.

But the Ochapowace Thunder senior men’s team, a member of the Triangle Hockey League, will require a new temporary home for its contests as it was utilizing the Fred Bear Communiplex.

“They can pretty much go anywhere to play,” Allary said.