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Bayview Hotel in Courtenay closed for now due to water mess

Hotel clarifies that only one sprinkler was tampered with and activated
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The Bayview is temporarily closed to deal with the effects of a sprinkler in one room that was tampered with. Photo by Mike Chouinard

A hotel in Courtenay is temporarily closed while it cleans up from water damage.

Contrary to some information circulating, Bayview director of operations Grant Smith, whose family owns the hotel, said not all of the sprinklers activated, as reported, though water did run for a while.

“Just the sprinkler in the person’s room went off, but it ran for a substantially long time,” he told the Record. “The fire department need to know there’s not a fire anywhere before the water could be shut off.”

The incident happened shortly before midnight on Saturday, June 12. A hotel news release said a sprinkler head was tampered with and broken in the fourth-floor room, which resulted in further water damage below.

“We have no idea of the extent of the damage,” Smith said.

At present, the Bayview is conducting a major clean-up and having the damage repaired. In the meantime, it is closed, and Smith is not sure how quickly it will reopen. The closure is coming at a time when travel restrictions due to COVID-19 are starting to lessen.

“We want to reopen safely as safe soon as we can,” he said.

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Following the incident, the hotel was evacuated, and staff contacted guests with reservations and, where possible, helped with finding other accommodations.

“Our staff have been wonderful during these trying periods and are looking forward to welcoming guests back as soon as possible,” the hotel said in the news release.



mike.chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.com

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