Prince George ski hill closed indefinitely after early morning blaze
'My heart has a massive hole in it' says Olympic snowboarder who trained at Tabor Mountain
The day lodge at a Prince George ski hill that produced a Team Canada 2018 Olympian was destroyed by fire early Thursday, prompting the hill to close indefinitely.
RCMP are still on scene at the Tabor Mountain Ski Resort, 30 kilometres east of Prince George.
Volunteer firefighters from the Tabor-Ferndale area attended the fire shortly after midnight.
"It was a total loss when we arrived," said volunteer chief Bryant Kemble.
"Flame, smoke coming out of every window in the building."
No one is believed to have been inside the building or injured by the blaze. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Olympic training ground
The Tabor Mountain Ski Resort has about 73 skiable hectares, approximately 15 minutes from downtown Prince George. It hosts multiple competitive events, including the 2015 Canada Winter Games.
It was also the training ground for Olympic Team Canada member Meryeta O'Dine, who will compete in Pyeongchang later this month. O'Dine is currently ranked 7th in the world in the snowboard cross category.
"My heart has a massive hole in it," she said in a public Facebook post about the fire. "This was my home, my safe place and where I was able to [make] my dreams come true."
"The ski hill lives, but coming home this time won't be the same without the smelly lodge."
The hill is owned by O'Dine's family.
In a statement on their Facebook page, Tabor Mountain Ski Resort management said they will be closed for at least the weekend.