'It's a sad day for the community': Fire destroys school on Waterhen Lake First Nation

Waterhen Lake First Nation in northwestern Saskatchewan is now without a school after a fire on Tuesday.

The Meadow Lake fire department received a call for assistance from the First Nation shortly after 1 p.m., according to fire Chief Joe Grela. He said firefighters arrived about an hour later to find the Waweyekisik Education Centre up in flames.

Waterhen Lake First Nation is about 75 kilometres north of Meadow Lake.

"We set up on the section of the school that actually was on fire at the time. We weren't able to control it," Grela said on Wednesday.

Grela said the school was evacuated prior to the fire department's arrival and no injuries were reported.

The fire started in the roof of the school's industrial arts shop, according to a Waweyekisik Education Centre Facebook post.

"It's a sad day for the community," the Facebook post reads.

The school at Waterhen Lake First Nation, about 75 kilometres north of Meadow Lake, was completely destroyed by fire. (Felicia LaPratt)

Dustin Ross Fiddler grew up in Waterhen Lake First Nation and was a former band councillor. He said the school was integral to the community.

"It's where I made my first friends. I remember spending my early years there, kindergarten and pre-k, graduating there as well. Then when I was in leadership, I was there for countless number of grads and countless number of funerals as well to support families," Fiddler said

"All those memories come back at once. I think that's what what has people in shock when they look at it, that it's not there anymore. It's just a pile of rubble that's smoking."

Loss of school was preventable: Waterhen Lake Chief

Waterhen Lake First Nation Chief Blaine Fiddler said "the devastating loss" of the school was preventable. He added the community had seen danger coming for more than a decade.

"We communicated that there was a pressing need for necessary upgrades and replacements in building materials to best meet contemporary safety standards," Fiddler said in a letter posted on Facebook.

"Waterhen leadership past and present lobbied through multiple governments to advocate our need for a new school to no avail. This is unacceptable."

Fiddler said it is unbelievable that the school, where the community came together recently to congratulate the 2024 graduating class, is now gone.

"I know that many of you hold your own cherished memories of Waweyekisk because in many ways it was the heart of our community," Fiddler said. "However, what is not lost is the strength of our community and all the people who make Waterhen our home."

Fiddler said the theme for the 2024 graduating class is âhkamēyimo, which translates to "We will persevere."

"I cannot think of anything more fitting to reflect upon as we move forward with rebuilding such an integral part of the community," Fiddler said.

Fiddler said he has contacted Indigenous Services Canada to inform them Waterhen Lake First Nation needs their immediate support in the aftermath of the fire and to build a new school. He added the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and Meadow Lake Tribal Coucil has reached out to help.

Damages could be millions of dollars: fire chief

Grela said while the Waweyekisik Education Centre was completely destroyed in the fire, the fire department was able to prevent further damage to the community.

"The school is a total loss, [but] we were able to make another fire break between the school and band office, so we were able to save the band office," Grela said.

Some firefighters stand watching as others spray water on the burning school at Waterhen Lake First Nation, about 75 kilometres north of Meadow Lake. (Felicia LaPratt)

Grela added Waterhen Lake First Nation is not typically in the fire department's response area but even if they were closer, it wouldn't have made much of a difference in saving the school.

"Due to the building construction and how the fire spread, it would have been difficult really for any fire department to actually do any effective fire control," Grela said.

"It was an older school. There was an existing roof and then another roof was placed over top of that roof, so the fire got into the void spaces between the two roofs. When that happens, it's a very difficult place to gain access to and to try and control [the fire]."

Grela estimates the damages from the school fire will be in the millions of dollars.

He said the cause of the fire is currently unknown, but expects a provincial fire investigator to be at the scene on Wednesday.