The hotel in Dominion City, about 100 kilometres south of Winnipeg, burned down on Christmas Day.

A passerby noticed smoke coming from the one corner of the hotel and called the fire department, but by the time volunteer fire crews arrived on the scene the fire had spread to the walls and throughout the building.

RM of Franklin Fire Chief Barry Gushuliak said there was a good turnout of volunteer firefighters – some coming all the way from North Dakota – especially considering that the fire broke out on Christmas Day.

Gushuliak said it's believed the hotel was empty at the time. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

"It's not a Christmas present we were expecting today, and hopefully we get it to a point where some of the guys can get home to their families," Gushuliak said.

The hotel was a common meeting place, especially for seniors.

"It'll be sorely missed," said Dominion City resident Gwen Nichols.

To view a gallery of photos of the fire submitted by a CTV viewer, click here.