Strong winds left quite an impression – of the unwanted kind – at a Qualicum Beach inn on Monday morning.
Staff members at the Sand Pebbles Inn were alerted that a guest’s Dodge Challenger had a caved-in roof and half of a tree on top of it. During heavy winds, the tree fell onto to the building itself, as well as into the nearby parking lot.
Receptionist Danielle Filmer said no one was injured, and the other half of the tree was still rooted in the ground.
At approximately 3:30 p.m., a tree service was seen on the property removing the other rooted half.
READ MORE: Waves crash in front of Sand Pebbles Inn in Qualicum Beach
Janice Kelly, manager of the Sand Pebbles Inn, had been working at approximately 7 a.m. when the tree fell.
“It sounded just like an earthquake. But it’s hard to tell here because when it’s that windy, the waves hit the seawall and it shakes the whole place anyways.”
According to Kelly, the staff learned of the damage after the guest came into the office to notify them what had happened.
The damage to the inn itself included a collapsed canopy and torn siding off the office building.
According to the Environment Canada website, a public alert was issued for the majority of the east coast of the Island, with southeasterly winds expected to reach 70 km/h and possible high winds reaching 90 km/h into the night on Sunday.
