A nearly 80-year-old community landmark in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, was destroyed by fire over the weekend, leaving behind rubble and dashed plans for a new daycare that was set to open soon.
The Wetaskiwin Memorial Arts Centre, located at 5206 50 Street, caught fire on Saturday evening, June 6, 2026. The blaze was reported around 8:16 p.m., and firefighters worked through the night. The fire was finally contained around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, but the building could not be saved.
Fifteen members of Wetaskiwin Fire Services responded with multiple trucks, and seven firefighters from the Millet Fire Department brought two engines as mutual aid. While they were unable to save the arts centre, crews stopped the flames from spreading to the nearby Manluk Theatre for the Performing Arts and other buildings.
Wetaskiwin RCMP guarded the scene while fire investigators looked into the cause. As of June 8, no official cause had been released.
The building began as Legion Hall in 1947 and was home to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 86. In 1971, the Kinsmen Club funded renovations and it was renamed the Wetaskiwin Memorial Arts Centre, becoming a hub for community events. For decades, it hosted weddings, graduations, Christmas parties, elections, and town halls. During the pandemic, it was even used for court trials to allow social distancing.
The City of Wetaskiwin closed the building after a 2021 review found it was no longer cost-effective to run, with annual operating losses of about $97,434 and needed repairs topping $2.2 million. In January 2024, the city sold the property to a daycare operator who had plans to open a child care service. The grand opening was just around the corner.
Mayor Joe Branco, who married at the venue, shared in the community’s sadness. “I got married there,” he said. “My sons got married there. It used to be a great area for community events.”
MLA Rick Wilson also offered condolences, saying it was “a place where generations came together for countless milestones that shaped our shared story.”
With the building now a pile of rubble, the future of the daycare plans remains unclear, though Mayor Branco expressed hope the new owners would rebuild.
