Fire officials say the cause of a May 21 early morning fire that destroyed the Terrace Bowling Lanes building is undetermined but they do know it started in the entrance alcove, indicates a release from the City of Terrace.
It was patrolling Terrace RCMP officers who first noticed the fire on Lazelle Avenue at 4:29 a.m. They reported it to 911 resulting in a full scale response by the Terrace Fire Department and the Thornhill Volunteer Fire Department.
“Terrace responded with two on-duty career members, accompanied by nine off-duty career members staffing three trucks, two engines and one rescue [vehicle],” the city release stated.
“In addition, Incident Command responded with Terrace Fire Chief Joel Brousson. Thornhill responded with seven volunteer members, comprising a ladder truck and a fire engine.”
The two Terrace career firefighters were able to respond quickly as the bowling alley is right next door to the fire department/city hall complex. A minimum of two career firefighters are on duty at all times.
Two BC Ambulance paramedics were also at the scene, a longstanding procedure should firefighters require medical assistance.
Despite the full scale response, decades of Terrace sporting history went up in flames as fire consumed the building, a modified Quonset hut structure built in the late 1950s from surplus Second World War materials.
By 7 a.m., heavy equipment was already at the location, dismantling the building from the rear so that firefighters could have easier access to the flames.
Damage on the outside is such that half of the large rooftop sign bearing the word “bowl” and accompanied by a large cutout of a bowling pin, was destroyed.
The building was purchased by the city in 2019 in anticipation one day of needing the property to expand city hall and the fire department complex.
Up until then it had been owned by Doug and Marg Mumford who purchased the business in the early 1970s.
It’s been leased since then to Theresa Moffat who arrived shortly after 4:30 a.m. to witness the end of the building.
She began bowling there 55 years ago at the age of 14.
“So many memories,” said Moffat. “Mainly pictures. We had lots of champions. National champions. Provincial champions.”
Moffat was accompanied by Michelle Hruby, also a bowler of many years.
“I came down to be with Theresa,” she said as the two stood on the sidewalk opposite the building and watched as firefighters went about their work.
“Just think of all the birthday parties,” Hruby said.
Once the majority of the building had been taken down and the flames had subsided, firefighters were able to haul out pale blue metallic lockers containing custom bowling shoes and custom balls kept at the location.
The contents were taken to Moffat’s house so the owners of the balls and shoes could more easily retrieve them and to determine if the shoes could still be worn.
For two local bowlers, Blanche Keehn and Doug Borgford, the recovery of the shoe is significant as they are headed to the nationals at the end of June.
Watching the contents being loaded onto a pickup truck, Moffat acknowledged that her bowling days were over.
“I’ll be at home quilting,” she said.
With the destruction of the Terrace lanes, the only bowling alleys left in northwest B.C. outside of Prince George are in Smithers and Houston.