4 ~ Korth Shore News - Friday, September 29, 2000 Si From page 1 Dave Burgess said ovo pumper trucks and a ladder truck were dispatched, along with ight firefighters. Burgess said the team was able to avert a larger disaster by preventing the blaze from spreading westward to neigh- bouring buildings. Firefighters with water hoses were strategically placed in the alley between the Famous Players Theatre on the corner of Esplanade and Chesterfield and the blaze. A pair of firefighters also blasted the flames with water from the roof of the LCI Leisure Canada Inc. building at 213 West First. The white concrete-block rear corner of LCI was com- pletely blackened by the smoke. Hundreds of curious onlookers jockeying for a closer look at the interne flooded West First and the parking lot directly opposite the former Chinese restaurant. Stat? and some patrons of the nearby Thai House restaurant also gathered: on the sidewalks to watch the fire, as did apartment dwellers on First. Carried by a light breeze, blackened debris and water rained down on bystanders as firefighters pelted the blaze with high-pressure water hoses and tried to keep the fire at bay. Bright orange flames licked the restaurant’s collapsing, blackened roof. Shingles were tipped free and sent sailing into an. eve.-widening plume of thick brown smoke that blasted ‘high into the air over the Lonsdale corridor. ...North Vancouver RCMP _ Const. Brent Elwood tried in “vain co usher observers away from ; the. scene. “The stu you’ re breathing here is toxic,” ¢ warned, trying to move the crowd. out of the parking lot. “You’ might want to back up. We don’t know what’s in that “building.” - However, Gross | House fe redeve! owner Reza Sabor said no haz- ardous materials were being stored. “Nothing dangerous ts inside,” said Sabor, who arrived on the scene at approximately 6:30 p.m., after a friend called the developer at his West Vancouver home and alerted him to the blaze. According to fire depart- ment report, the fire was con- tained by 6:30 p.m. One of the oldest heritage buildings in North Vancouver, Gross House was) built’ in about 1904 for boot and shoe dealer Charles Gross. It was last closed after a suspicious fire tore through the house 2 % years ago. In February, 1998. the building sustained fire damage tots upper floor and water and smoke damage te the lower Noor and basement. At the time of that fire, developers were trying to get approval from North Vancouver City for a 14-unit residential building on the site. Chairs found inside the build- ing after the fire indicated it had been used recently as some sort of meeting place. The North Vancouver RCMP launched an arson . . . . = investigation into the 1998 fire. Sabor purchased the prop- erty from former owners the Lee family, who operated the Ming Court restaurant: until 1996. In August of 1998 North Vancouver City council asked Sabor to come forward to discuss his plans for the property after it had sat empty for some time. Sabor was granted permission by council in November, 1999 to proceed with plans to redevelop the site as long as the heritage front of the building was maintained. A five-starey office block with lower-floor retail space was due to be built around the foundations of Gross House, replacing the owo-level parkade next door to the heritage build- ing. Gross House itself was slar- ed to reopen as a restaurant Includes up to 5 litres of 10w30 Quakerstate I st i 21 pt. Safety check, 15 rrinutes - FAST! I 4 1362 Marine Drive 920-915 Mor-Sat 8:00am-6:00pm, Sun 9:00am-5:00pm - Expires Oct 11/2000 § With great sorrow, the staff of Maplewood Farm say goodbye to their longtime friend, Barney. He was loved and admired by countless thousands of visitors to Maplewood Farm for more than i8 years. He will be missed. S Now on. to greener pastures, Barney. once it had been restored to its original condition. “Pm very sad for this because the heritage part is gone,” said Sabor, watching a section of the coof collapse. This second Gross House fire is the latest in a string of heritage building blazes in Lower Lonsdale over the Last few years. They were ear- mnarked by the cigy fire depart: ment as suspicic WIS, On New Year's Eve, 1997, the Aberdeen Block at the bot- tom of Lonsdale which housed Paine Hardware was narrowly saved by the etforts of cite tire fighters. In October, 1998, the Barraclough Block at the cor- ner of Second and) Lonsdale OK'd was severely damaged in a fire. The building was home to the Great Outdoors Equipment store, the Bean Cate. and 10) second-floor apartment suites. Last ovear city. council approved redevelopment work for both blocks: retail space, live-work «studios, and an underground parkade at the 90-vear-old Aberdeen, and an as-yet unspecified commercial development within the fade ofthe Barraclough. By Thursday morning, fire ews had begun efforts to sta- the Gross House: site. Burgess said nothing would be ruled out as a possible cause, but added that an investigation would be a lengthy process. FLU CLINIC SAFEWAY (§)/ PHARMACY ad 5385 Headland Drive, West Vancouver * Caulfeild Village « Tuesday, October 3, 14 am - 3 p.an. A Registered Nurse will be available for your flu vaccination. Influenza or “Flu” is an infe:tion that affects millions of people every year. it is highly contagious, affecting all age groups - causing foss of work, pneumonia, hospitalization and death. The best method of protecting yourself against the flu is be receiving an annual flu shot. Don't let the flu bug ruin your winter fun - vaccinate! For more information cail: 926-2034 ° Appointments Recommended « PALLISER Choice of 7 colours G0% all leather sofa oss ‘Reclining Sofas Reg: $2995. : NV restaurant robbed HE said he wanted it to go. On Monday night at about 10:15 pan. a nian entered Yie's Chinese food restaurant in the 100-dlock of East Third Street in North Vancouver and waved qwo steak knives ac an employ- ce. After reaching .over the counter and helping himself to money trom the Gl, the man fled on foot through the back alley. A small amount of cash was raken and no one was injured. The man is described by police as: light skinned, 5°8° (173 em), 135 Ibs. (61.2 kg), 20 to 30 vears old, wearing a white cloth over his head. He had blond hair and wore a white sweat- shirt and black jeans. North Vancouver RCMP are investigating this robbery. 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