‘It’s pretty tough’
Bell Bay clubhouse destroyed by fire
In stark contrast to the pristine golf course surrounding it, the clubhouse at Bell Bay Golf Club was reduced to charred debris Sunday morning after being levelled by fire.
Flags at the Baddeck golf course flew at half-mast and the course is now temporarily closed, but plans were already in the works Sunday to have golfers back on the greens within days, as the golf course itself and the golf cart building were not damaged.
The clubhouse fire was reported Sunday around 12:25 a.m., according to Baddeck fire chief Darren MacAulay, who lives in the village.
“When I came out of my house I could see the orange glow in the sky and when we landed here the place was fully engulfed,” he said, noting they quickly called Middle River and Whycocomagh volunteer fire departments for assistance. “Approximately 40 members from all departments fought it for six hours. It was a long night.”
No one was in the clubhouse at the time of the fire and there were no injuries.
MacAulay said an excavator was used to knock down the fire, which is now under investigation by the fire marshal’s office and the RCMP.
“Right now it’s just too early to say anything about a cause of the fire,” said deputy fire marshal Paul MacCormack. “We’re doing a preliminary investigation of the scene.”
Bell Bay Golf Club opened in 1997, and in 2007 it became part of Cape Breton Resorts, which is owned and operated by Scott MacAulay.
MacAulay, a co-founder of the golf course, said the plan is to rebuild, but the focus in the short term is to get the golf course back in operation with temporary facilities, he said.
“We’re focusing on getting the facility back up and running. It’s an important facility both for ourselves as well as for the rest of the community,” he said. “By mid-week, we hope to back (in operation). The course is in excellent shape.”
MacAulay commended local firefighters for their efforts in battling the fire and protecting the course and other buildings on site.
“They just did a fabulous job,” he said.
Sandy Campbell, co-founder and former co-owner of the golf course, said it was hard to watch such an iconic part of the golf course and the community be destroyed by fire.
“It’s pretty tough,” he said. “Fire is very devastating.”
Campbell said he expects the whole community will rally around the golf course in the days and weeks ahead as it reopens and rebuilds.
And as executive director of the upcoming Cape Breton Open, a PGA Tour Canada tournament scheduled to take place at Bell Bay from Aug. 29-Sept. 4, Campbell said talks are already underway about the impact on that event.
“We’ll assess everything over the next 48-72 hours and we’ll do what’s best for the village and for Bell Bay and for the tour,” he said. “We’ll do what makes the most sense for everybody involved.”
Eric Tobin, golf operations manager at Bell Bay, described the clubhouse as a “beautiful building” that housed a kitchen, dining room, pro shop, administration offices, locker rooms, and washrooms.
“Any clubhouse at any golf course, it almost becomes a second home, especially to our members. It was only 20 years old and we’re definitely going to miss it,” he said. “It’s extremely sad to see our second home gone.”
Tobin said that everyone is relieved that no one was hurt.
The course has approximately 25 employees including the turf crew, maintenance, food and beverage, and pro-shop staff. All staff members are expected to remain on the job.
Food and beverage employees Desiree Gillis and Emily Glasgow, who both reside at Bell Bay’s neighbouring RV Vacation Village during the summer months, saw the fire first-hand and said it was devastating to watch the clubhouse go up in flames.
“It happened fast, it was scary,” said Gillis. “Working here every day and then seeing it like this is sad.”
Glasgow said employees at the golf course are like a “big family” and she expected everyone to work together as the facility gets back on its feet.
Tobin noted more information about the status of the course will be released in the days ahead.
“(This) shouldn’t affect any tournaments booked this year, or guest bookings or outings,” he noted.
The RCMP has asked anyone with any information about the fire to contact them at 902-2952350, or Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or online at www.crimestoppers. ns.ca.