Mother nature is sure intent on messing with us. As previously noted the club was submerged by the flood waters that came down the Sumas River and our own mountain. Then, the dike burst and all that water flooding us evacuated onto the Prairies south of us, taking the bridge at McDermott where it turns into Lakemount as well.

Dan and Audrey continue to be amazing and have stayed on site the entire time, as they never lost electricity, just gas (also removed when the bridge went). On Friday our restoration company and I attended the club to survey the damage. Outside of the massive amount of debris at the end of Range 2, and I mean hundreds if not thousands of tons of rock and mud, there really isn’t much in the way of actual destructive damage. Our buildings will need some work, the sea can bathroom will need to be totally gutted and rebuilt, as will the trap house and some of the main floor of the clubhouse. But, thankfully at that point, nothing major had been washed away.

During the next rain events on the weekend and into December 1st the club was reflooded due to both the dike repair and more material coming down the mountain and more of the water there running onto Range 2. As the Sumas River is again high, that water has nowhere to exit and is flooding the property, however, not as bad as before, at least as of this writing (December 1st, 3pm).

So, where do we begin? Well, we’ve got a restoration company involved, Cygnus Contracting, and we’ve contacted a lot of the trades who’ve done work at the club before, so that Cygnus can work with them to get things fixed and going again. From the excavation of Range 2 and the sediment pond to the electrical in the clubhouse and across all the ranges. But before any of that can happen, we need a bridge to bring in equipment. The small trail we used for access after the first flood is not suited for bringing anything bigger than an ATV down and even that could end up damaging the trail, further limiting access to the area for everyone who lives around the club. We have no estimate on when the bridge will be replaced. We are actively working with our insurer and restoration company to figure out our options.

What does that mean for you, the member? Well, frankly, it is going to be awhile before activities can take place on the property, months most likely. However both Thompson Mountain and Port Coquitlam Fish and Game Club have made it so our members can attend their facilities, please check the post on the website regarding this.

Showing how great our membership is, we’ve had a ton of outreach from them asking what they can do to help, and, for now, nothing. This is not some small flood where we need to move a few rocks, wash down some walls, or mop up some water. This is a massive undertaking and it is best left to the pros to deal with. I am sure that at a later date there will be an opportunity to help, but for now we are going to rely on the people who specialize in this kind of work, to get in, make a solid plan and execute it.

We will open again, and that will be as soon as possible, that’s all I can say. Until then, keep an eye on the website and your emails for updates, we will keep you as informed as we can.
 
Rob