Bergen Hall, the men’s dormitory at Providence University College in Otterburne, was tragically consumed by flames on Thursday, June 1.
The fire began at approximately 4:45 p.m. and is presumed to have started on the roof of the dormitory. Supported by the RCMP, the fire departments of Niverville, St. Malo, and St-Pierre-Jolys were dispatched and responded to contain the blaze. No one was inside the building at the time and there were no injuries to report. Although the cause of the fire is still undetermined, the fire commissioner has deemed it as accidental. The total cost of the damage is estimated to be around $4 million.
“We are thankful that no one was hurt as a result of the fire, and we welcome the prayers of our friends and supporters as we determine what our next steps will be,” reads a statement by Cherry Wiebe, Providence’s Vice President for Marketing and Communications.
Wiebe adds that the university would like to extend their gratitude and commend the efforts of Andy Martin and Randy Bechard, both of whom are maintenance employees at Providence. As well, Wiebe’s statement recognizes the efforts of a neighbour to the campus, Emile Morin, who supplied additional water to help extinguish the fire.
Providence was founded in 1925 as Winnipeg Bible Training School and moved to its current location in Otterburne in 1970. Bergen Hall, which was built as part of the Forward Free Capital Campaign in 1984, is named after Martin Bergen, who contributed the original $1.1 million needed for its construction. Bergen also oversaw the build as project manager and was personally invested in the job. It is said that he often enjoyed participating in hands-on labour.
In addition to serving as Providence’s primary men’s residence during the school year, Bergen Hall has also housed summer students, attendees for sports camps, and various groups and organizations that visit the college from time to time.
Plans for constructing a new dormitory are currently underway. However, project details have yet to be finalized.
Despite the setback, the fire has not slowed down activity at the bustling college. Sports camps will continue as scheduled and programs for summer students will not be affected.
“Providence has a plan in place for temporary housing for Fall 2017 while a new dormitory is constructed,” says Wiebe. “We have other residence buildings on campus which are sufficient for our summer events.”
Jerrad Peters, Creative Content Specialist at Providence, says, “We have been able, and will be able, to meet all our housing requirements for the summer. Our Summer TESOL program (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) is currently ongoing, and all students requiring accommodation are being comfortably housed. Additionally, all students attending Providence during the upcoming school year will be comfortably housed. As it happens, our enrolment numbers for the fall are looking tremendous.”
He adds, “We’re extremely grateful that no none was hurt in the fire and we’re also thankful that we’re in a position to build a brand-new, state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly residence. We’ve received considerable support from friends both near and far, and while Bergen Hall was the setting of many Providence memories we’re looking forward to constructing a new building that will host even more memories in the future.”
