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Two bodies were found during the demolition of the burning hotel on Friday, one was that of Mary Garlow
The demolition of the Winters Hotel, destroyed in a fire on April 11, was halted after two bodies were found in the rubble on Friday. Police and investigators are continuing their investigation. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG
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Candice McLorin knelt on Saturday and carefully laid a bouquet of flowers at her home for the past seven years, a single-room hotel that burst into flames last week from an unattended burning candle, wreaking havoc on 71 tenants still struggling in its consequences.
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Just a day earlier, the 37-year-old woman was shouting at the workers hired to demolish the fire-damaged Hotel Winters, which is operated under a lease from Atira Property Management.
“There are still people inside. Mary is still there, McClorin shouted, raising a sign in protest. “I knew I wasn’t crazy.”
Mary Garlow, photo sent by Misty Fredericks
By late Friday afternoon, demolition work had been halted after two bodies were found. One of them, found on the third floor of the building, has been identified by the family as Mary Garlow, a friend of McLaren’s who is in her 60s.
“Her son John was the one who jumped out the window during the fire. He broke both his ankles, “she said.
Garlow’s cousin Misty Fredericks describes her as a caring mother who grew up in Ontario and was subjected to the school system in a residential home.
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“Her son is disabled and has lived with her all his life,” Fredericks said. “I don’t know why my family’s life has to be so hard, to go through a residential school and the trauma that goes with it. Mary deserved much better than her way of going.
The demolition of the Winters Hotel, destroyed in a fire on April 11, was halted after two bodies were found in the rubble on Friday. Police and investigators are continuing their investigation. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG
Vancouver Fire Chief Karen Fry said Friday it took 11 days to find any bodies in the building, as the fire was so dangerous that fire crews did not enter the larger part of the building before demolition began.
“Our search is not complete and we have not entered the building. To be perfectly clear, we are not entering the building, we are not entering the building. It’s all in the process of being destroyed, and today we had to stop that process and take our truck down the ladder and take out the body, “Fry said.
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Postmedia was unable to confirm the identity of the second body found at the Winters Hotel.
It took just over a week for most of the displaced residents to be relocated from the shelter to a 71-room hotel owned by Atira in downtown East Side at 303 Columbia St.
McLorin, who moved into the building on Monday, said: “We are all so sad. John calls us every night from the hospital and asks where his mother is. He doesn’t remember what happened. “
When Postmedia arrived at the new Columbia Street hotel on Saturday, tenant David Cani had not yet heard the news.
“I can’t believe Mary is dead,” said the 37-year-old, who admitted he still has memories of the fire.
“I was in my room on the second floor at the time. I never heard a fire alarm or saw sprinklers, but when I smelled smoke, I ran down the hall. Railings exploded all around me. One of my neighbors refused to leave, calling for help to find his dog.
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After Kani struggled with the man down two floors and went outside, he returned to the burning building to try to find his pet.
“I did as much as I could, but I choked on smoke. Then I heard the dog burning, screaming, “he said.
“It was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced. Every time I close my eyes, I hear this damn dog.
The demolition of the Winters Hotel, destroyed in a fire on April 11, was halted after two bodies were found in the rubble on Friday. Police and investigators are continuing their investigation. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG
The deadly fire was not the first fire at the Winters Hotel.
A fire that broke out on April 8 was put out by hotel sprayers before the system was shut down and fire crews issued a statement saying the system needed to be serviced.
“It was under construction when the fire broke out,” said Chief Fry. “We put systems in place, what we call the fire brigade. That’s how we found the fire. “Unfortunately, it got out of hand very quickly.”
“With files from John Mackie.”
sgrochowski@postmedia.com
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