Mere months after a fire devastated Sproat Lake Landing, owner Jeff Stephenson and some of his original staff are poised to reopen in temporary digs.
Two construction trailers have been brought onto the site on Lakeshore Road, near Highway 4 at Sproat Lake, and have been converted into a temporary grocery store and liquor store.
The grocery store should be ready to go in time for the Canada Day weekend.
Stephenson still hasn’t received permission from the provincial liquor board to open a temporary liquor store, but he is hopeful approval is coming. The trailer has been anchored to the cement and other security measures have been put into place to satisfy the liquor board. He hopes to hear by the end of the week whether this part of his business will be able to reopen.
In the meantime, he is almost ready to put the demolition of part of the fire-ravaged building out to tender. While the pub and second floor are destroyed, the main floor suffered mostly water and smoke damage. Thirty per cent of the building has been deemed structurally sound, giving Stephenson some choices on how he rebuilds.
Fire ravaged the building on March 23. Stephenson had been the only person sleeping in the building at the time, and he escaped harm.
No matter what he discovers with the building, Stephenson is set to resurrect the hotel, pub, grocery and liquor store—especially since the community has said Sproat Lake Landing is vital to the area.
The community support has been “absolutely incredible,” he said. “People still stop by. The community has indicated they want (the building). It’s a big part. It makes it easier to move forward.”
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