The Northern Nights Lodge in Churchill, 550 kilometres northeast of Thompson on Hudson Bay, burned to the ground Nov. 18. One person was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The hotel was on Kelsey Boulevard, Churchill's main street, within walking distance of the train station, and featured 25 rooms, a three-bedroom suite including a full kitchen, a licensed restaurant and a lounge. The hotel was established in 1992.

The fire was reported around 10 p.m. and all guests had already evacuated from the hotel when the local fire department and Churchill RCMP rushed to the fire, said Sgt. Line Karpish, an RCMP media relations spokesperson for "D" Division in Winnipeg, which includes all of Manitoba.

Karpish said the fire is not considered suspicious at this point, but the cause is still under investigation. There is no estimate on damage yet.

This is the third hotel to have burned down in Churchill over the years.

On June 30, the roof blew off Wally Daudrich's Lazy Bear Lodge, also on Kelsey Boulevard, during a tornado, as a water spout came off the Churchill River, about 500 yards behind the lodge, but it was repaired within days and one of the town's premier accommodation spots for beluga whale and polar bear watchers from around the world, remained open for business.

The polar bear watching season for this year is just now winding down.