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Mysterious Fire Destroys Royal York Clubhouse
Amid the smoke and fire, despair and confusion that swept through tinder dry portions of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley during the past couple of weeks, a mysterious fire has left members of the Royal York Golf Course and RV Park in Armstrong without a clubhouse.
Early Saturday morning the Armstrong Spallumcheen volunteer firefighter department got a call that the two storey structure was ablaze. Despite the efforts of nearly 30 firemen the building could not bed saved.
According to fire chief Rob Brown, the Royal York Golf Club fire is being investigated as suspicious. “We have RCMP on the scene and looking at it from that aspect first, and see what we can figure out.”
"We have no idea what happened,” said Wendy Dauncey, whose family, the Yorks, own and operate the nine-hole facility and RV Park north of Lake Okanagan on highway 97A. "A lot of memories are gone as well. A lot of people have gotten married here.”
Dauncey told the Vernon Morning Star that the fire also destroyed a number of golf carts but no damage was done to the RV park.
Royal York's Head Professional Jason Wizniak is believed to have also lost all merchandise from the fully stocked pro shop.
"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.”
Although the Royal York Golf Club & RV Park carried a prestigious name, the only golf clubs in Canada with the "Royal" designation from the Monarch, are Royal Colwood in Victoria, Royal Ottawa, Royal Montréal, Royal Québec and Royal Regina, and are part of a select number of golf clubs worldwide with the same designation and shared reciprical privileges.
Meantime, to view the wildfire situation for the rest of the Okanagan and British Columbia log on here to Wildfires of Note.
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