Fire destroys well known restaurant in southeastern Sask. community

A well-known restaurant in the community of Forget, Sask. was destroyed by fire on Thursday night.

Emergency crews were called to the Happy Nun Café around 6:30 p.m.

The restaurant is well known across southern Saskatchewan, especially for its involvement in the province’s music community.

Morgan Turk is a local Forget musician who performed at the restaurant many times and said he was devastated.

"This place was a hearbeat for the arts for years and years," he said.

Weyburn musician Dan Cugnet said anybody who went to Forget was a fan of  the restaurant.

"The food was wonderful. The staff and the people that owned and ran it were wonderful and the entertainment was always wonderful so it kind of just checked all those boxes and I think that’s what made it special and unique,” he said.

The Happy Nun Cafe was located in the community of only 50 people but was named Saskatchewan's country music venue of the year. It offered a wide variety of music and played an important role in supporting Saskatchewan musicians.

Brian Sklar of the Regina Musician's Union said it was a sad day.

Ever since the pandemic hit, it's been really tought on musicians," he said. "When you lose a venue like this, it's not good news."

According to Saskatchewan RCMP, the fire has been deemed to be non-suspicious.

RCMP said officers remained on scene until the fire was out and there was no risk to public safety.

The restaurant was under new ownership after previous owner Katie Vingie was killed in a motor vehicle collision.

Forget may have been an unlikely place for a restaurant and music venue of such a high calibre. It’s not known if it will be rebuilt and many agree that it would be difficult to replicate.

Forget, Sask. is about 152 kilometres southeast of Regina.