'Devastating loss' after fire destroys Tagish, Yukon, community centre

The Tagish Community Centre in Tagish, Yukon caught fire Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Volunteer firefighters from five nearby communities helped put out the blaze. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Government of Yukon **MANDATORY CREDIT**

TAGISH, Y.T. — The Tagish Community Centre has been destroyed by fire, leaving the small Yukon community without its central hub, which included recreation facilities, meeting rooms, library services and an outdoor ice rink.

A statement from the Yukon government says teams from five volunteer fire departments in the region helped put out the blaze, which was discovered Wednesday.

It says the structure was “fully involved.”

A joint statement from Premier Ranj Pillai, Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn and John Streicker, the legislature member for the region, says the government is committed to rebuilding a new space for the community.

It says the fire is a “devastating loss to the community.”

The statement says they know how much the Tagish Community Centre meant to residents, as a place to gather and support one another.

“From community dinners to pancake breakfasts, from fitness classes and youth programs, the centre was at the heart of life in Tagish,” they said.

“It was a space where friends met for coffee, families celebrated milestones and neighbours came together to support one another in times of need.”