Manigotagan log hotel destroyed by fire

A log hotel in the small Manitoba community ofManigotaganburned down Tuesday night.

Police said they received a call about the fire at North Star Hotelat 11 p.m.

ShannaKarle, areal estate agent withAteahRealty, said the building had been empty for three years after the owner died. The bank was selling the buildingfor$154,900 throughAteahRealty.

"It was such a neat place. If I had the money I actually would have bought it myself," she said. "It could have used a little cosmetic upgrade on the inside but it had so much potential and I really loved that place."

Karle saidthe building alsomeant a lot to the community before it closed.

"I'm told from a lot of people that it was very central and it was a large part of the community and it had been there for certainly several years."

Karlesaid the building was about 100 years old. The original structure was built by floating logs down the river and assembling the logs at the site inManigotagan, she said.

Manigotagan is 150 kilometres north of Winnipeg, east of Lake Winnipeg.