The troubled former Pioneer Bar in Pointe-Claire has been hit with more problems - this time, flooding.

A burst pipe in the sprinkler system in the vacant, 117-year-old building may be to blame for flooding the basement Sunday. Owner Diane Marois said it caused about $100,000 in damage.

"I've made myself ill over this place," said Marois. "No one realizes the stress that I've been through, and all the problems I've had since I came back."

A post on the Save Le Pionnier Facebook page indicates that the alarm was going off throughout most of the day Sunday.

Public safety workers were at the scene around 8 p.m. on Sunday, pumping water from the basement and into the street.

Marois said the leak start in the back room.

“It was in the back room which is where we used to have bands, so there was water on the dance floor, on stage. My sound system is soaked,” she said.

The two-inch pipe caused extensive damage - filling the basement with seven to eight feet of water.

No one was injured, however.

"I invested my money in keeping the operation open as opposed to renovating the building - maybe I shouldn't have done that, but now the building is in dire need of repairs," she added.

Closed since the summer

The bar has been closed to the public since summer, and Marois has been trying to sell the place for the past 10 years.

The building made headlines when it was announced that a developer had purchased the building with the intent of demolishing it to build 15 condos and businesses on the lot. 

Citizens upset

Many Pointe-Claire citizens were upset, unhappy they were losing their bar, and displeased with the condo project

“In a quaint, historic little village that is a tourist attraction, I don’t think people come to look at condos. I think it’ll hurt the marketability of the village,” said Tim Thomas of the Save The Pioneer committee. “We're trying to prevent it.”

Originally, city hall appeared to like the condo project, and even agreed to sell the developer the parking lot next to The Pioneer to make the project happen.

But last month, city council rejected the developer's proposal, which would have seen The Pioneer torn down. He now has until March to rework the plan.

“If he can't build his condo, I don't know what his other options are going to be either,” said Marois.

One possible option would be to do something with the existing building, which Marois says is falling apart.

Opponents of the condo project are clinging to the hope The Pioneer could be their neighbourhood bar once again

“It is resurrectable,” said Thomas, adding that the recent flooding will “make it a little more expensive for him, which is unfortunate, but other than that, it hasn't changed much.”

Marois is skeptical – and wants to close this chapter of her life.

“I've had the building up for sale for 10 years, my day has come,” she said. “I just wanted to retire.”