Conservation Authority HQ remains closed following powerful October lightning strike

'The power of Mother Nature' Staff at a local conservation authority won't be returning to the office any time soon. CTV London's Scott Miller explains why.

The headquarters of the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority remains closed following a powerful lightning strike at or near the building way back on Oct. 6.

“We've had structural engineers through, electrical engineers through, and there are some indications that the building was shook very significantly inside,” said Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority General Manager Erik Downing.

While the fire department was called to investigate following the Sunday lightning strike, there was no fire inside the building or water damage and no injuries.

Downing said you’d hardly know anything was wrong by walking around inside the building. Most if not all the damage done was done to the exterior of the structure, which sits atop a large hill overlooking the village of Formosa in Bruce County.

“There was a garden in front of the building that was almost exploded and shot rocks over the whole height of this very large office building. There were impacts on the backside of the building on a retaining wall that we just still can't explain. There was eavestroughs on the opposite side of the lightning strike that were melted with seemingly no negative impacts, within the building between the lightning strike and that eavestrough,” said Downing.

Saugeen Conservation Headquarters in Formosa Saugeen Conservation Headquarters in Formosa, seen on Dec. 3, 2024, are still closed and off-limits to 23 staff members after a lightning strike at or near the building on Oct. 6. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

Approximately 23 Saugeen Valley Conservation staff have been working remotely since the lightning strike and continuing doing what the conservation authority does. When they will return to their Formosa office is still not clear.

“We're certainly not getting back in there this year it would appear. We're hopeful for early next year. Maybe January, I’m still holding on to hopes for. Some of the windows and things are coming in, and they'd be in around there, so, we're excited for that. But we don't have all the picture even still,” said Downing.

Downing said no one thought they’d be out of their office for this long, but ensuring the safety of staff and the ability of the building to withstand another lightning strike have led to the cautious approach.

“It’s a reminder of the power of Mother Nature,” he said.