Chief Chiniki restaurant rebuilt after 2012 arson
Workers are putting the final touches on a landmark Morley restaurant getting set to reopen three years after it was destroyed by arson.
The Chief Chiniki restaurant could open as soon as next month, Chiniki Band CEO Lindsay Blackett says. The restaurant is on a Stoney Nation reserve approximately 60 kilometres west of Calgary, on a hill overlooking the Trans- Canada Highway. For many years, it served as a rest stop on the drive between Calgary and Banff.
It was destroyed overnight in August 2012, causing more than $ 1 million in damage. Noelan Twoy-oungmen of the Stoney First Nation pleaded guilty to one count of arson after police determined the blaze was deliberately set. He received a two- year federal prison sentence in 2014. Three young people were also charged in relation to the fire.
But a new, 5,000- square foot building is nearly complete. It already houses a gas bar and convenience store, which opened a few weeks ago. The restaurant, to be located on the top floor, is in its final stages of construction.
“We want to get it up and running, but it’s a great opportunity,” Blackett said. “You only get one chance to make a first impression and we want to make sure everything is running smoothly and operationally to make that all happen.”
Blackett said the construction on the interior is all but done, with workers now focusing on landscape work, paving and adding stairs to the outside. This should be completed by the end of July, but the next step will be finding a tenant to take over the lease of the building and manage the restaurant. The target is to open the restaurant in August.
“It’s better to delay and open properly than to open and have people disappointed and then not have guests and have a bad reputation,” he said.
Blackett said the Chiniki First Nation decided not to manage the restaurant at this point in time because it’s “not financially viable.” The construction of the building cost $ 5 million, with insurance covering $ 1.8 million. The band invested the balance of the cost.
“It was a large expenditure,” said Blackett, a former Alberta cabinet minister.
Band members expressed excitement for the grand opening.
“It’s pretty important that it’s reopening again because, obviously, at one point in time it was a landmark for tourists as well as the community. When it did first burn down, we were pretty upset about it, obviously,” John Sedo said. “Of course, unfortunately it took so long for it to be put back into service. However, the way it is now, I think it’s really nice. It’s actually a lot nicer than it was before.”
The restaurant, famous for its buffalo steaks, was a place where Eugene Poucette ate many breakfasts and dinners. But the more tragic part of its destruction three years ago was losing century- old handicrafts that decorated the restaurant.
“It used to have lots of dreamcatchers in there,” Poucette said. “It was really disappointing. All the crafts burned down. It’s our ancestors’ crafts, too, some neat works. “It was terrible.” His sister, Loranda, said she hoped the new building, as beautifully designed as it is, would maintain its sense of culture.
“It’s been there all our lives and we grew up with it,” she said.
Blackett said new artwork would be on display in the restaurant and decorative pieces would be incorporated into the design of the building.
He said the restaurant would also benefit the community, providing jobs for First Nations people and hopefully serving as a place where culinary students at Chiniki Community College could put in their practicum hours. The band is in talks with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology to provide a culinary training facility at Chiniki Community College.
“It’s been a milestone,” Blackett said of Chief Chiniki. “It’s one of the few places you can stop between Canmore and Calgary, one to get gas and one to get something to eat. It’s got great significance and pride for the Chiniki First Nation people and Stoney Nation.”