7 April 2008
Priceless Tower Fire May be Arson
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Glenboro's beloved water tower went up in flames on
Friday.
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Glenboro Manitoba - RCMP in Manitoba have launched an
arson investigation into a fire that levelled a 104-year-old railway water tower.
Glenboro Mayor William Shackel's voice broke as he said the tower attracted visitors and was priceless to the southwestern Manitoba
community.
"How do you put a figure on a heritage site?" asked Shackel, who said he felt sick on Friday when he saw the ruins.
Built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1904, the octagonal tower was one of 75 constructed by the company between 1902 and 1925.
It was declared a provincial heritage site in 1997 and at the time was said to be the oldest of three remaining railroad water towers
in the province.
Glenboro firefighter Robert Gudnason said he and his colleagues arrived at 4 a.m. Friday to discover the building's siding burned and
flames shooting out of its timber frame.
All firefighters could do was spray water on the ground near the building to stop the fire from spreading as the tower crumbled.
"The whole structure was fully engulfed," Gudnason said. "The whole thing was all covered in flames."
The heat also warped the nearby track. Police are also investigating other fires in Glenboro on Friday that burned a fence and
snowblower.
"It certainly appears to be suspicious in nature," Staff Sgt. Mike Zens said. "We're not sure if they're all
linked."
At this point, there are no suspects, arrests, or charges.
The water tower in Glenboro had its original cedar tank, and had been described as the best example of an intact, fully equipped water
tower in Manitoba.
In addition to providing water for steam locomotives, the tower once supplied the village's fire department and area farmers. In the
late 1950s, railway companies converted diesel-powered trains, making the water towers
obsolete.
Read more about the history of this water tower.
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