The building has been demolished and building stabilization is in progress at the site of a massive fire just before Christmas at the Medicine Tree Manor seniors complex in High River.

The CAO of the Foothills Foundation, which runs seniors housing in the region, Lauren Ingalls, says everything above ground is now gone.

"We're hoping to retain the existing basement foundations and slab if they are salvageable, we're just awaiting an engineers report on that, but the intent is to heat it over the winter months so we can look at assembling a team and look at the re-build of the Manor sometime in the summer or fall of this year," she says.

Ingalls says they're trying to arrange heating for the foundation to winterize it so they can fast track re-construction.

Arson has been ruled out but, Ingalls says, a heater and a fan that was on the third floor have been sent for analysis and the cause  remains under investigation.

She says residents of Soderberg House were able to return home a couple of days after the fire and enjoy Christmas there, although some repairs need to be done to the east side of that building.

Ingalls thanks members of the High River Fire Department, RCMP and the Town of High River for all of their efforts and support.