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The well-known Happy Nun Café in Forget caught fire Thursday night.
The Happy Nun Café wasn’t just known to residents in the town of 55 people, but it was recognized as one of the best music venues in the province.
It has been named the Saskatchewan Country Music Associations Venue of the Year for the last three years and was owned by chef Gayla Gilbertson.
According to Discover Estevan, Stoughton Fire Chief Pat Slater said that the fire began at 6:25 p.m. and resulted in the total destruction of the property. There were no injuries due to the fire and nobody was inside the building when the fire began, but the cause is still undetermined.
Dan Cugnet was a frequent customer at the Happy Nun Café, and had preformed there in the past.
He said it’s a sad day for that community and the southeastern part of the province.
“It was just an absolute gem in southeastern Saskatchewan,” Cugnet said. “It was sort of the best-kept secret in Saskatchewan.
“The food was always wonderful, the entertainment was always wonderful, and the staff was always welcoming. It’s a real loss for everyone down here.”
He said the current owners, Leon and Gayla Gilbertson, did a great job operating the café.
“They kind of took it over under real challenging circumstances, and they’ve done a wonderful job with it over the last few years,” Cugnet explained.
“They took it upon themselves because they had a passion for this place and I’m really feeling for them today.”
Cugnet said what made the place special was the music and also the menu, as it was always changing and local.
“The menu was kind of forever changing, and always (had) unique dishes,” he said. “It was a gourmet meal in the southeast corner of Saskatchewan.”
Cugnet said it’s amazing the owners were able to run a successful business when the population of Forget is just 55.
“It’s in the middle of nowhere. You look at a map and you say ‘this place isn’t supposed to be here and be full every Friday and Saturday,'” Cugnet said.
