Mona Barbour is home – almost.
The West Vancouver woman who was burned out of her BC Housing apartment in West Vancouver just before Christmas has returned to her building, albeit in a different suite.
“I’m not fully unpacked yet. It’s been hard,” Barbour said. “I’m back in my building and it’s at least familiar ground.”
Initially, BC Housing offered her an apartment in East Vancouver that she could afford through her disability income and part-time job at the London Drugs store at Park Royal, but that would have cut her off from her local support network and left her commuting up to three hours a day by transit to get to and from work.
After much lobbying, BC Housing agreed to have Barbour move into a smaller suite on a lower floor. She’s still requesting she be allowed to move back to the apartment she had lived in for 20 years.
“Things are OK,” she said. “It is nice but it’s not my home.”
Barbour didn’t have renters insurance and lost almost everything in the blaze. An online fundraiser set up by her niece brought in more than $9,000 in donations, which Barbour said has been key in getting her back on her feet. Now she wants to thank everyone who reached out to support her in a difficult time.
“People I don’t even know, people I used to work with, people I do work with now – everybody has been an emotional support. They’re saying ‘Call me if you need anything.’ I’ve had people I haven’t seen in 20 years contact me,” she said. “It’s been amazing.”
Barbour said she will be telling everyone she knows they need to sign up for fire insurance.
According to West Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, the exact cause of the Dec. 15 fire hasn’t been determined yet and investigators are waiting on a report from an electrical engineer.
“There are a few rumours going around on why it happened or what may have happened, but I’m not listening to them,” Barbour said.
BC Housing did not respond to a request for comment.
