UNITY — It has been six months since a fire broke out in the Unity Agro-Plex, leaving a massive hole in the roof, and the community.
The Jan. 19 fire was caused by a malfunction in one of the overhead heating units, which the fire inspector is further investigating. The damage to the roof was extensive; however, many of the items, such as tables and chairs, were salvageable. In May, the Unity Ag Society put out a call for volunteers to help retrieve these items and put them into storage so demolition of the building could be done prior to the Unity Western Days. On May 24, the 34-year-old building no longer stood.
“With the hole in the roof and the strong winds we saw this spring, it created issues with some debris flying around, so we had to get approval from our insurance company to tear down the building before rodeo weekend,” said Joan Sperle, secretary for the Unity Ag Society.
The Unity Ag Society has had lots of help thus far and has greatly appreciated the support from local businesses and individuals.
“We want to recognize Boss Electric, RoJet Contracting, Bongo Construction, F & B Air Conditioning Services, Ganters Plumbing & Heating, Unity Western Days committee, Majic Johnson and all the volunteers that helped us prepare the building for tear down,” said Sperle.
Pat Welter, president of the Unity Ag Society, says the process has been slow while dealing with the insurance company, yet working with the adjusters and appraisers has helped with the complexity of the process.
“We have to remind the insurance company that without the building, we have no income. We will likely get a payout for the building, but that figure may not cover the cost of the rebuild in the manner it was,” added Sperle.
Since the fire, the Unity Ag Society has received some donations from the community, monetary and in-kind, that will go towards the rebuilding of the facility.
“We will always accept donations and possibly the naming rights of a sponsor. We are thinking that with these donations and our insurance, we would be able to create a larger ground floor hall facility,” said Sperle.
Although the group may not have a building to generate income, they are still continuing with staying connected in the community. Electric camping is still available on the grounds, at a low price of $15 per day and the Town of Unity aided the organization by providing space on the curling rink surface for the annual Ag Safety Days, teaching elementary students how to stay safe when living or visiting a farm. The Unity Ag Society also presented their bursary at the Unity Composite High School graduation ceremony to Raelin Peiffer and are in the beginning stages of organizing the annual Fall Fair and Tradeshow. Sperle said the books are in the process of getting put together and applications for booking a table at the tradeshow will be out within the month.
Although the Unity Ag Society is optimistic about the future, Welter did say, “In 1991, that building was put up entirely by volunteers and in 1993, the kitchen was put in by volunteers. It would be nice to see that type of support again with the new build. Our ag society is total volunteers and our membership is $2, we would gladly take any help or volunteer to join our organization.”
