The comforting sound of kids playing outside and laughing has returned to River Woods Housing Co-op – one year after the fire.
Four pre-teen friends run around the central courtyard and engage in some old-fashioned roughhousing on a recent Thursday afternoon. The parents sit around a communal picnic table, shooting the breeze with fellow neighbours, who are more like a second family.
Blue construction fencing, in plain view across the complex, cordons off a section of townhouses still under restoration and serves as a reminder of friends who have not come home yet. There’s a child’s scooter nesting in overgrown grass that hasn’t been tended to in a year.
It’s evident that River Woods’ residents have each other’s backs. Here, it’s no trouble to knock on a neighbour’s door to ask for something – anything – even if it’s dinner hour.
A jovial Aaron Rose, who sports a black Batman T-shirt, says he had a good feeling about River Woods when he first arrived at the co-op three years ago. There were 25 or so kids laughing and running through sprinklers set up on the grass.
“I knew it was a good place because there were lots of kids around and everyone seemed happy,” says Rose, while cuddling River Woods’ resident cat, Boo.
This microcosm of community nestled in a grove of tall coniferous trees next to Mount Seymour Road was torn apart around 8 p.m. last May 7, when a large blaze broke out at River Woods.
Co-op president Diane Bennett, who has lived here for close to 20 years, describes feeling a sense of disbelief the night of the fire.
“I saw a poof of smoke and all of a sudden the roof just erupted in flames,” recalls Bennett. There was a huge roar. We were very scared. There was just the fear it was going to spread.”
It was a chaotic scene as thick smoke blanketed the complex and panicked residents ran around worried about neighbours, pets and personal possessions.
While 27 firefighters from stations across the North Shore tackled the blaze, which spread rapidly through a shared attic space, other local heroes quickly turned up to help.
Teachers from nearby Dorothy Lynas elementary arrived at River Woods with stuffies to help calm children who were hunkered down in units away from the smoke.
Rose watched as firemen continuously sprayed water from a giant hose through six-year-old Leila's open bedroom window.
“Just seeing that was devastating, because you knew her stuff was in there,” recalls Rose.
Despite losing her “favourite picture of flowers” and all of her puzzles, Leila donated half of her birthday money to the Seymour-Deep Cove fire hall in October – because the firefighters saved her “fishies.”
Immediately after the fire, 26 River Woods’ families found themselves homeless. Some residents left with just the clothes on their backs and, if they were lucky, some valuables.
Fortunately, the Seymour community jumped into action, donating everything from food to toiletries to gift certificates.
“It was absolutely overwhelming,” says Rose, of the generosity of strangers. “I think we had a 1,000 [donated] pairs of donated shoes, it was insane. At one point it was bumper to bumper with cars and people trying to drop off donations.”
Being disconnected from River Woods this past year has been hard for the displaced fire victims. Some parents scrambled to find nearby accommodations so their kids could stay at their school.
Denise Wait and her family have moved three times since the fire – upgrading from a hotel, to a basement suite to, finally, a spacious home this past March.
“With many families looking for accommodation in a tight market, you take what you can get,” says Wait via email.
One senior couple was forced to temporarily relocate to the Fraser Valley, a move that has been tough for them and the River Woods’ family.
“Alex did our newsletter,” says Bennett. “He would be out and about here every day. It didn’t matter what you needed – he would help you. They can’t wait to come home.”
Ten of the 26 displaced River Woods’ families returned home last September, while the rest will come back in July. The residents were hoping for a spring homecoming, but the scope of the restoration work expanded to include re-piping and electrical rewiring in the complex.
Summer will bring a reuniting of two friends who were separated after the fire. Nine-year-old Gabe stood by his friend, who was in tears, and they watched as his home was destroyed.
“He lost almost all his stuff,” says Gabe, who gave all his Lego to his friend.
Ryan Larocque and his family were lucky enough to return to River Woods in September, after spending the summer living in his sister’s basement.
There are life lessons Larocque and his neighbours have learned as a result of the fire.
“It made everyone go and double their [tenant] insurance,” he says.
Larocque also sees the silver lining in the situation.
“That everybody got out alive – that is the best part,” says Larocque.
The residents of River Woods are looking forward to celebrating with a big barbecue on the August long weekend – when the co-op is whole again.
