Roger Knox - Vernon Morning Star Published: July 25, 2009 10:00 AM
A Saturday morning fire destroyed the clubhouse at the Royal York Golf Course in Armstrong, taking with it tons of merchandise and memories. Armstrong Spallumcheen volunteer firefighters got the call at around 4:25 a.m. Saturday, and the clubhouse was fully involved when they arrived on scene. Close to 30 firefighters battled the blaze.“We have no idea what happened,” said Wendy Dauncey, whose family, the Yorks, own and operate the nine-hole facility and RV Park. “The clubhouse is demolished, it’s gone. A lot of memories are gone as well. A lot of people have gotten married here.Dauncey said nobody was hurt in the blaze, which also destroyed a number of golf carts parked at the course
The RV Park was fine with only ash from the fire ending up on a few trailers.Fire crews were still on the scene Saturday morning mopping up the suspect blaze.“We are investigating it as a suspicious fire at this point,” said Armstrong Spallumcheen fire chief Rob Brown. “We have RCMP on the scene and looking at it from that aspect first, and see what we can figure out.”The golf course was closed Saturday.“We’ll try to re-open as soon as possible,” said Dauncey. “We’re going to get a temporary building, we’re bringing in some golf carts from Osoyoos.”Course members were finding out the news Saturday.Sharon Bain and her family have been members for nearly eight years, and her two kids, now adults, began playing at Royal York as juniors.“I feel like there’s a huge hole in my life, a huge loss,” said Bain. “It’s such a great place. The people get treated so well there by the Yorks and Jason (head pro Wizniak). The course and clubhouse hosts lots of social functions, and we go to them all.”
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