A daycare will not be opening in Pugwash, N.S, after a fire broke out at a former church Saturday morning and completely destroyed the historic building.

Fire crews from the town and three nearby communities were called to the former Presbyterian Church on Church Street around 9: 45 a.m.

It was being renovated to house a kindergarten in the basement and local movie theatre on the main floor.

Pugwash Fire Department Chief Andy Yarrow said by the time crews arrived it was already too late to save the structure.

"When we arrived on scene there was extensive smoke and flame coming from the building. We couldn't get inside, it was too hot, The fire had progressed too far, basically we had to support from outside. It was a total los[s]," he said.

Shirley Cummings and her husband live near the former church and watched the blaze take down the church.

She said members of the community had reconciled themselves to losing a church, and were ready to welcome a new, much-needed daycare facility.

"It`s disheartening. Losing the church was unfortunate, but losing the daycare is very unfortunate," she said.

Yarrow said the fire was out by 1 p.m.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.