West Vancouver hockey community mourns death of couple after tree falls on home

Tree falls on West Vancouver home, killing 2 Friends and a local hockey community are mourning a West Vancouver couple who died after a tree came crashing down onto their home.

A local hockey community is mourning the deaths of a former West Vancouver Minor Hockey Association president and his wife.

Over the weekend, a tree came crashing down on a home in Horseshoe Bay.

Officers were called to the home on Wellington Avenue after getting a report of "a large tree falling on houses," West Vancouver police said in a news release Sunday. They did not specify what time the incident occurred, saying only that it happened "overnight" between Saturday and Sunday.

"While on scene, officers noted downed hydro wires and ruptured gas lines that were damaged as a result of the uprooted tree," police said.

Emergency responders soon confirmed the deaths of two people – a man in his 60s and a woman in her 50s – inside the house.

The WVMHA shared the news of the deaths, identifying the deceased as Mike Sharp and his wife, Caroline, and saying the community is in shock.

"Mike was a selfless leader in the community and a true gentleman," the association's post said.

The president of the association told CTV News Mike volunteered for 12 years as a coach and an administrator, saying he had a "deep love for the game of hockey."

Mike retired from the association in 2015.

Wind warnings were in effect for Metro Vancouver, Greater Victoria and Eastern Vancouver Island on Sunday, with Environment Canada warning of gusts as high as 90 km/h.

The high winds prompted the cancellation of dozens of BC Ferries sailings and knocked out power to thousands of BC Hydro customers.

The B.C. Coroners Service is conducting an investigation into the incident.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Ian Holliday