The 23-year-old clubhouse at the Smithers Golf and Country Club couldn’t beat this winter.
Club President Max Starr said the 7,000 sq. ft. structure’s roof sprung a leak over the holidays, starting small but growing by the time anyone could get in to fix it.
Starr said that the roof leaked into the foyer of the building between Christmas and New Years, and they put out buckets to collect the water while they figured out what to do.
The pro shop was open and the facility was rented out for Christmas parties during this time, but the leaks were not substantial.
With so much snow on the roof, getting it fixed right away was challenging.
An insurance adjuster came in and Universal Restoration based in Terrace was called in to stop the problem from spreading.
The company was held up by poor roads and before they got to the club, the roof had it.
“In between that time and when we met them, boom, the roof had basically given in,” said Starr, adding that doesn’t mean the roof collapsed.
“It’s what they refer to as ice damming,” he said, where ice was affecting drainage.
“[It’s a] pretty good mess,” he said.
The water build-up meant that they had to get the insulation out of the roof. A large vacuum was brought in for that task. The water also meant trouble with the gyprock and their tiled ceilings.
“I got hit by one downstairs by the washroom,” he said, of the tiled ceiling. “And of course cold water just went down my back.”
All this being said, the damage is covered under insurance and it won’t mean any changes for the upcoming golf season. That means no increased fees or changes to services.
“The club is very stable, very financially sound and the previous directors and members who were involved in the club have just got it to that point. It was very well run for years,” said Starr.
He didn’t know yet how much damage, monetarily, was done to the building.