The owner of a billiard shop in Winnipeg says he is suing for $1 million in damages after his business was damaged by a blowtorch in a blowout last fall.
In a statement, Kevin Pritchard said his business, the Billiard Shop in the Bar, suffered significant damage after a blow out in October.
“The blowout of October 2016 was not caused by an unruly customer but rather a faulty electrical circuit that had been connected to an incorrect battery charger,” Pritchett said in the statement.
“It was the fault of a customer who purchased an incorrect charger and failed to properly secure the device.”
Pritchards billiard machine, a model sold by the Ontario-based company, was set to open on Oct. 7.
“I did not anticipate that the electrical system would fail on me.
I was extremely careless in my handling of the device,” Putchchard said.
“After the blowout, the business was shut down for a period of time and we are continuing to rebuild and repair our system.”
Putchson said he has hired an independent repair company to repair the equipment.
“We are in the process of purchasing an electrical system and I have been advised by our expert that there are no known issues with the electrical device that we are dealing with,” he said.
Putchchards attorney, David Condon, said the business has been “very proactive” in restoring the business and is hopeful that repairs will be completed in time for the Oct. 28 opening of the new shop.
The owner has also filed a claim with the Canadian Consumer Product Safety Commission.
“Our focus has been to find a solution to this problem.
We have been trying to get the billiard and equipment in a state that we could service safely,” Putcher said.
The provincial government said it has been in contact with the provincial regulator, which is investigating the blow out.
“Billiard shop owners in Ontario are encouraged to seek any assistance from the Office of the Safety and Insurance Ombudsman (OSI),” the statement said.