A fire that claimed one life and nearly engulfed a three-storey strata July 18 has left its former residents searching for both housing and a sense of normalcy.
Second-storey tenant Zennia Miorin had just sold her strata unit and was intent on moving her young family to more spacious accommodations in Campbell River when the fire ignited.
The family made it out safely but their sale has since collapsed, Miorin reported.
“We’re basically married to this (strata),” she said laughing. “It’s like a curse.”
With the fate of the building at 357 East Second Street uncertain, Miorin and her family are staying across the street in a “friend of a friend’s” apartment.
“It’s nice to be offered a home in the community,” she said.
The aftermath of the fire has presented a hardship for 84-year-old strata resident Del Nichol, reported her son Bruce.
“She had her life set up really well,” he said. “Now she’s displaced and she’s confused.”
Del is staying out of town after a landlord went back on a handshake deal to rent her a place in Lower Lonsdale, according to Bruce.
“The whole experience is an ugly experience,” he said, characterizing the landlord as showing “zero compassion.”
Del suffers from arthritis and kidney problems but forged a steady routine in her strata following the death of her husband. She wants to live independently in her neighbourhood but Bruce isn’t sure that’s possible as he estimates the strata may not be ready for two to three-and-a-half years.
“Once her apartment is ready, it’s going to have to be sold,” he said.
For Sandra Hanson, a member of the strata council, nothing is certain at the moment.
“We’re all just in limbo,” she said, explaining she was waiting to hear from her insurance provider.
Asked if the 29-unit building could be repaired or would need to be rebuilt, Hanson said she had “no clue.”
Miorin is still wondering what she can salvage from her smoke and water damaged suite. She still has a load of laundry waiting in the building’s basement as well as boxes of baby clothes and vintage books packed up in her home.
“I’ve invested in some borax and vinegar and laundry detergent,” she said. “I know that they’re just possessions … but I hate buying things twice.”
The displacement has been particularly difficult for Miorin’s four-year-old daughter, who’s struggling to cope with the upheaval following the fire, Miorin explained.
“When we drive past our building she closes her eyes.”
But while there have been challenges, Miorin also experienced surprising support. The children’s entertainment company My Little Princess Events reached out to Miorin following the fire, staging a party for a few of the affected children at a nearby park.
“They took an hour of their time – for free – and came and helped these kids out,” Miorin said, counting Cinderella, Captain America, and Anna from the movie Frozen among the attendees. “It isn’t all doom and gloom. There are silver linings.”
Firefighters responded to the early-morning blaze, rescuing several residents from their balconies and dousing the wood-frame building before the fire could spread.
The crews received a commendation from District of North Vancouver Mayor Richard Walton, who credited the responders for their “tireless work ethic, compassion, and bravery.”
