Future uncertain after Ste. Anne fire

A senior from Ste. Anne, Man. says he's worried about where he'll live next after his apartment was destroyed by fire this week.

B.J. Kumka and two other families have temporarily moved to the local hotel after they lost their homes in Monday night's blaze.

Kumka said he lost everything in the fire, including family documents dating back to the 1800s.

"I enjoyed my life here and now it's all gone," hetold CBC News late Tuesday.

No one was injured in the fire, but the three-storey, 12-suite apartment building was gutted. It took 50 firefighters to bring the blaze under control.

Local fire officials say careless smoking was to blame for the fire. Damage is estimated at almost $1 million.

Kumka said he doesn't know if he, as a senior, can afford to live in another apartment.

"I will never have a place like that again, because the rents are just astronomical in places like that," he said.

Kumka said he has spoken with his area MLA, Ron Lemieux, about the need for more affordable housing for seniors living outside Winnipeg.

In the meantime,Kumka said he will depend on social assistance to pay his bill at the hotel.

"Oh, there isn't much I can do now, can I? I'll stay here as long as I can, looking for a place to rent which is affordable," he said.

"If I can't, I have no idea. Maybe I'll have to sleep in my pickup truck."