There is a silver lining behind the dark clouds of smoke that rose from the weekend fire at the White Point Beach Resort in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.

The loss of the iconic lodge will throw roughly 100 people out of work, but the resort's owner says the multi-million dollar facility will be rebuilt and expanded.

"When we're planning what we want to do in this new space, we're going to take our time and do it carefully, but we also want to be open as quickly as possible," says general manager Danny Morton.

The 83-year-old main building around which the resort is centered burned to the ground Saturday. Staff and guests were able to escape the burning building as flames chewed through the guest rooms, lounge, kitchen and dining hall.

Fire officials say the blaze started in the basement, but they are still trying to determine the cause.

Meanwhile, members of the community are mourning the loss of the historic lodge.

Anne White says she has been coming to White Point since she was a child, and the resort holds a special place in her heart.

She says her family visited the lodge annually, and she was married there too. Twelve years ago her husband died on the way to White Point, and some of his ashes were left there.

Today she visited the resort to see what's left.

"They treat their guests like family and we consider them family," says White. "It's like we've lost one of our own homes."

"I know they'll rebuild and I know everyone is waiting to come back."

Many employees at the resort say they too are sad about the destruction.

"As much as everyone says they hate to go to work, we loved it," says employee Kim Lohnes.

"We had a lot of fun, met a lot of people and made a lot of friends," says employee Jan Hartsgrove.

This year the resort secured a $1-million loan from the province and added $400,000 to the investment. The money was bookmarked for upgrades, and none of it had been spent on the main structure, where the fire occurred.

"This is not just a job or an investment. This is part of their lives and they will want to breathe new life into the building," says Queens Regional Municipality Mayor John Leefe. "I am confident, like the phoenix, a new building will rise out of the ashes."

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kelland Sundahl