‘We lost a loved one’: Town of Cabri mourning after hotel burns down

The town of Cabri is dealing with some devastating news.

In the early hours on Saturday morning, the Cabri Hotel burnt to the ground.

The hotel’s owner, Wendy Johnson, said this is truly saddening for everyone in the town with a population of about 400.

“My first thought is I’m just so glad everyone is safe and no lives (were) lost,” Johnson said.

“This will pull our community (and) we will all be stronger because of it. We all stand together (through) tough times and we’ll make it work.”

She has owned the building since 1999 and says she has made so many memories and friendships that still stand out to her to this day.

“I think we’re all in a bit of mourning. It’s like we’ve lost a person. We lost a loved one,” she said.

“I’ve just made a lot of good friends and have a lot of good memories. Today I’m sad, but tomorrow I’ll remember all the good memories.”

Johnson says the town has been through plenty of difficult times in the past and this will be no different.

“We’ve had some deaths in the community of young people that were very tragic and accidental. It just makes us all stick together and lean on each other and show our support of what our community is all about,” she explained.

She said if there’s any consolation  during this sad time, it’s that everyone in the community can relate to what the hotel meant.

“There isn’t anybody in this whole area that hasn’t known someone that works there or had people that stayed there. It was the hub of the community,” she said. “It’s just shattering.

“Times of good, times of bad, we would gather at the hotel.”

People in the community are already showing their love and support to one another, according to Johnson.

“It just pulls at my heartstrings,” she said. “It’s not just a loss for me, it’s a loss for our community.”