The historic hotel in Wetaskiwin burned down one year ago. So why has it taken all this time to clean up?

Wetaskiwin hotel cleanup A year after a fire destroyed a historic Wetaskiwin hotel, cleanup hasn’t begun. Sarah Plowman has the details.

EDMONTON — Wetaskiwin's Rose Country Inn looks exactly like it did almost one year ago. A devastating fire on March 19, 2019, left behind only a pile of rubble and ash.

After months of waiting on the property manager to deal with the mess, Wetaskiwin decided to take matters into its own hands.

The cleanup is now underway and is expected to wrap up next week as contractors pick up the pieces and take them to a landfill.

"It was a two-storey brick building, so brick and wood and burnt debris and ashes," said Roy Prentice, one member of the cleanup crew.

The hotel, built in 1904, was a Wetaskiwin staple. But since last year's arson, residents say it's been known as the ski hill, or the dump.

"For a historic site, I'm sad that it's gone but now that's it burnt, it'll be good to get it out of here," said Karen Epp, the owner of a nearby business.

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The company that represents property manager Jetocalo Corp. said it has not received any payments from insurance providers.

"Following the fire, the three insurance companies did not acknowledge that Jetocalo Corp. has insurance coverage for the loss until September 23, 2019, nearly six months after the fire. No explanation was ever provided for this delay," Liam L. Corcoran with Pythe Navis MDP said.

The city has fined the hotel for the cleanup delays, further straining its financial situation.

"The unfortunate reality is that without the insurance companies providing payment as per their obligation under the insurance policy, Jetocalo Corp. does not have the funds required to pay for the debris removal and clean up of the site on their own," Corcoran added.

The City of Wetaskiwin is not aware of Jetocalo Corp.'s future plans with the site, but said these cleanup costs will be added to their taxes.

A man was charged with arson after the fire.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Sarah Plowman