Suspected arson damaged century-old structure
Naoibh O'Connor, Vancouver Courier
Published: Wednesday, March 12, 2008
District officials are waiting for reports from an insurance adjuster and a structural engineer before deciding the fate of a century-old school building seriously damaged by fire a week ago.
It's uncertain whether Sir Guy Carleton, a designated heritage building, can be rehabilitated or if it will have to be levelled and rebuilt.
"We've got fire restoration people involved and we need to find out how much work is actually going to have to be done--how much of the structure has been compromised by fire is the basic question," explained Doug McClary, manager of maintenance and construction for the Vancouver School Board.
The two-classroom structure is one of four buildings on the Carleton elementary site at the corner of Kingsway and Joyce. It was constructed more than 110 years ago and housed two kindergarten classes, which have since been moved into the main building.
The blaze, a suspected arson, started on the main doorway into the school on its east side, travelled up the face the structure and jumped into and spread through the attic.
McClary said the flames damaged the ceiling and attic, while the building interior was flooded with water from efforts to douse the fire.
"There's places where the ceiling is right open to the attic," he said. "There are places where you can see through the roof in the attic. We have tarped it at this point."
Some neighbours reported to police they saw a youth running from the site, according to McClary, although he wasn't sure if arson was confirmed or not.
School board chair Clarence Hansen said he hadn't visited the site since the damage, but that it would be a shame if the old school had to be knocked down.
"I think we're all best to hold off before making any kind of announcement that it can't be [saved]," he said. "It's going to come down to the structure and what they can do with it. I would hope that they would try to save it. We have a strong group of heritage advocates in the city, and I would hope we're going to give our best efforts there."
The school's name, which was originally Vancouver East School, was changed to Sir Guy Carleton in 1911. Carleton, first baron of Dorchester, was a British soldier and administrator who was born in Strabane, Ireland, according to the school website. He arrived in Canada in 1758 and was an officer in the French and Indian War. He commanded the British troops in Canada during the American revolution and repelled U.S. General Benedict Arnold's attack. He became governor of British North America in 1786-'96.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
School reopens doors after fire
By MEAGAN ALBRECHTSON, 24 HOURS
2008 March 4
Kindergarten classes will resume today for students at Carleton Elementary School in East Vancouver after a fire nearly destroyed their building late Saturday night.
"A lot of work's being done in terms of getting things back to normal," said Clarence Hansen, chair of the Vancouver School Board. New furniture was being brought in yesterday to fill the two empty classrooms that were undamaged in the blaze, and Hansen said there is still enough space to accommodate the 40 students.
Tom McEwan, deputy chief of the Vancouver Fire Department, said the fire is still under investigation but that it is suspicious in nature and being referred to arson investigators.
Hansen said the fire has been "a big shock for the school and the community," and that it will take some time before the heritage building is restored.
2008 March 4
Kindergarten classes will resume today for students at Carleton Elementary School in East Vancouver after a fire nearly destroyed their building late Saturday night.
"A lot of work's being done in terms of getting things back to normal," said Clarence Hansen, chair of the Vancouver School Board. New furniture was being brought in yesterday to fill the two empty classrooms that were undamaged in the blaze, and Hansen said there is still enough space to accommodate the 40 students.
Tom McEwan, deputy chief of the Vancouver Fire Department, said the fire is still under investigation but that it is suspicious in nature and being referred to arson investigators.
Hansen said the fire has been "a big shock for the school and the community," and that it will take some time before the heritage building is restored.
Costly fire in more ways than one
Mar, 03 2008 - 10:40 PM
VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) - East Vancouver's oldest school may not be salvageable. So says a School Board Trustee following a bad fire over the weekend.
The two-alarm blaze at the Carleton Elementary Schoolhouse early Sunday morning caused extensive to the wood-frame building.
Trustee Ken Denike says teachers will have a chance to see what they can salvage inside, if anything, but, "It doesn't look to me like there is an awful lot that can be salvaged unless it can be rebuilt."
As for rebuilding, "We aren't that far yet. We'll have to get the insurance adjustment and we've got to have our facilities people have a real close look at it but it doesn't look good."
The schoolhouse was built in 1896. Denike says it's east Vancouver's oldest school.
No word yet on the cause of the fire.
VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) - East Vancouver's oldest school may not be salvageable. So says a School Board Trustee following a bad fire over the weekend.
The two-alarm blaze at the Carleton Elementary Schoolhouse early Sunday morning caused extensive to the wood-frame building.
Trustee Ken Denike says teachers will have a chance to see what they can salvage inside, if anything, but, "It doesn't look to me like there is an awful lot that can be salvaged unless it can be rebuilt."
As for rebuilding, "We aren't that far yet. We'll have to get the insurance adjustment and we've got to have our facilities people have a real close look at it but it doesn't look good."
The schoolhouse was built in 1896. Denike says it's east Vancouver's oldest school.
No word yet on the cause of the fire.
Heritage school blaze labelled 'suspicious'
Updated: Mon Mar. 03 2008 07:39:53 ctvbc.ca
Watch video
Vancouver's only one-room schoolhouse was gutted early Sunday morning by what firefighters are now calling a "suspicious" fire.
Flames were spotted in a dumpster next to Sir Guy Carleton Elementary just after midnight on Monday, and within minutes, flames and smoke were pouring out of the school's attic windows.
Six fire trucks and 25 firefighters battled the blaze for some two hours, at one point climbing a step ladder to push a hose through a window to fight the flames.
"It was a stubborn one," said one fireman.
By 2:30 a.m., the wood-frame building -- built in 1896 as Vancouver's only one room schoolhouse -- had been badly damaged, with fire and water damage in many parts of the building.
A store of children's artwork in the attic was one of the valuable things that was destroyed.
Nearly 40 students used the room as kindergarten students and they won't be at school tomorrow.
School officials said they weren't sure the building could be used again this year.
Roy Berry woke up when he heard windows breaking. He told CTV News that he knows the school well.
"A lot of people don't realize the historical value," he said. "We do because we've been here for so long and we've been watching out for it."
The school is one of Vancouver's original schools, and built in 1896. Several more buildings have been added since, and the small one-room school house now houses two kindergarten classes.
David Gibson's mother drove out to have a look for himself. His mother went to the school in 1920.
"This is an important structure and there's a lot of memories for this city and the people who grew up in it," he said.
The school board is waiting for more information about insurance on the building.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, and investigators say it's too early to tell if the building is a complete loss.
Watch video
Vancouver's only one-room schoolhouse was gutted early Sunday morning by what firefighters are now calling a "suspicious" fire.
Flames were spotted in a dumpster next to Sir Guy Carleton Elementary just after midnight on Monday, and within minutes, flames and smoke were pouring out of the school's attic windows.
Six fire trucks and 25 firefighters battled the blaze for some two hours, at one point climbing a step ladder to push a hose through a window to fight the flames.
"It was a stubborn one," said one fireman.
By 2:30 a.m., the wood-frame building -- built in 1896 as Vancouver's only one room schoolhouse -- had been badly damaged, with fire and water damage in many parts of the building.
A store of children's artwork in the attic was one of the valuable things that was destroyed.
Nearly 40 students used the room as kindergarten students and they won't be at school tomorrow.
School officials said they weren't sure the building could be used again this year.
Roy Berry woke up when he heard windows breaking. He told CTV News that he knows the school well.
"A lot of people don't realize the historical value," he said. "We do because we've been here for so long and we've been watching out for it."
The school is one of Vancouver's original schools, and built in 1896. Several more buildings have been added since, and the small one-room school house now houses two kindergarten classes.
David Gibson's mother drove out to have a look for himself. His mother went to the school in 1920.
"This is an important structure and there's a lot of memories for this city and the people who grew up in it," he said.
The school board is waiting for more information about insurance on the building.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, and investigators say it's too early to tell if the building is a complete loss.
Heritage school damaged
Building 'a mess,' arson suspected
Kent Spencer
The Province
Monday, March 03, 2008
One of Vancouver's oldest schools, Carleton Elementary, was badly damaged yesterday by fire.
Police suspect arson, said school board chairman Ken Denike.
"It's a small but precious piece of heritage," Denike said. "The building is a mess."
The two-alarm blaze, which began at 12:30 a.m., caused extensive fire, smoke and water damage.
The school, located in the 3200-block Kingsway, near Joyce Street, was built in 1896. The single-storey, wood-frame structure housed two kindergarten classes.
Classes for 38 students will be cancelled today and will resume tomorrow in extra space on site.
The school is named for Sir Guy Carleton, a British governor in Quebec during the 18th century.
Kent Spencer
The Province
Monday, March 03, 2008
One of Vancouver's oldest schools, Carleton Elementary, was badly damaged yesterday by fire.
Police suspect arson, said school board chairman Ken Denike.
"It's a small but precious piece of heritage," Denike said. "The building is a mess."
The two-alarm blaze, which began at 12:30 a.m., caused extensive fire, smoke and water damage.
The school, located in the 3200-block Kingsway, near Joyce Street, was built in 1896. The single-storey, wood-frame structure housed two kindergarten classes.
Classes for 38 students will be cancelled today and will resume tomorrow in extra space on site.
The school is named for Sir Guy Carleton, a British governor in Quebec during the 18th century.
Sturdy old school tested by blaze
By MATT KIELTYKA, 24 HOURS
2008 March 3
They don't build them like they used to.
Despite being gutted by huge flames early yesterday morning, fire fighters believe Vancouver's Carleton Elementary schoolhouse, on Kingsway near McKinnon Street, is still standing because of its sturdy late-19th century construction.
"The building's age probably helped save it," Vancouver Fire Rescue battalion chief Howard Brown told 24 hours. "The trusses they use now are made out of two by fours and probably would have failed. But here it was a heavy beam construction that was stronger and didn't burn as quick."
The sound structure of the city's oldest schoolhouse also bought 30 firefighters more time to put out the two-alarm blaze.
Brown said the fire was "going real good" but the flames were restricted to the attic.
The rest of the schoolhouse, which houses two kindergarten classes these days, suffered extensive water and smoke damage.
Nearby residents could do nothing but watch as the building went up in flames and expressed their concerns for the historical site.
"There is a sense of loss," explained Alvin Lau, who lives near the school. "It's a unique thing in Vancouver that you don't find very much these days."
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but Vancouver police arson investigators were on the scene yesterday.
2008 March 3
They don't build them like they used to.
Despite being gutted by huge flames early yesterday morning, fire fighters believe Vancouver's Carleton Elementary schoolhouse, on Kingsway near McKinnon Street, is still standing because of its sturdy late-19th century construction.
"The building's age probably helped save it," Vancouver Fire Rescue battalion chief Howard Brown told 24 hours. "The trusses they use now are made out of two by fours and probably would have failed. But here it was a heavy beam construction that was stronger and didn't burn as quick."
The sound structure of the city's oldest schoolhouse also bought 30 firefighters more time to put out the two-alarm blaze.
Brown said the fire was "going real good" but the flames were restricted to the attic.
The rest of the schoolhouse, which houses two kindergarten classes these days, suffered extensive water and smoke damage.
Nearby residents could do nothing but watch as the building went up in flames and expressed their concerns for the historical site.
"There is a sense of loss," explained Alvin Lau, who lives near the school. "It's a unique thing in Vancouver that you don't find very much these days."
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but Vancouver police arson investigators were on the scene yesterday.
Blaze in heritage school leaves kids without classrooms
Sunny Freeman
Vancouver Sun
Sunday, March 02, 2008
VANCOUVER - A "stubborn" two-alarm blaze early this morning caused damage to Vancouver's oldest school structure, leaving 40 kindergarten students without a classroom.
Firefighters were called to Sir Guy Carleton elementary school at about 12:30 a.m. on reports of a dumpster fire and instead found black smoke pouring from an annex building about 25 metres from the main school, said battalion chief Howard Brown of the Vancouver Fire Department.
The fire started on the porch and spread up to the attic, where it was contained.
The designated heritage building, which housed two kindergarten classes, was one of Vancouver's original schools and is more than 110 years old. The building was the site's original two-room schoolhouse and it opened in 1896 as Vancouver East School.
About 30 firefighters had the fire knocked down by 2:30 a.m. But some were on scene, at the southwest corner of Kingsway and Joyce, until 4 a.m. putting out small flames in the attic, said Brown. The roof was charred but not burned off.
"There is considerable water and smoke damage to the classroom areas," he said. Brown said he didn't believe the building could be used again this year.
There will be no classes today for the 40 children who were housed in the yellow schoolhouse, said Clarence Hansen, chairman of the Vancouver school board.
"We're hoping to work with the principal and superintendent to see if additional staff is needed and relocate the [Kindergartners] in another part of the main building [by Tuesday]," he said.
He said restoration experts will examine the scene today to determine the cost of restoring the historic building. The board also is working with its insurers to assess the dollar value of the damages.
Val Hamilton, who taught at Carleton elementary for seven years and wrote a book on the history of Vancouver schools, said she was shocked when she heard the historic building had burned.
She said the small wooden building is the oldest existing school structure left in Vancouver.
"I hope it's not destroyed," she said. "It's such an irreplaceable piece of Vancouver history."
Alvin Lau has lived across the street from the school for almost 20 years. He said he feels a personal connection to the building because he and many members of his family sat in the two-room schoolhouse.
He said he saw six to eight fire trucks at the fire. He rushed over with his camera. "When I was standing there, my clothes were drenched with the smell of smoke."
Lau said the blaze was mostly contained inside the building but there were flames shooting out of vents near the roof. "The whole thing was made of wood, making it vulnerable to destruction."
"It was the original home school of the entire community... It was a hidden treasure in the community. It was tragic to see it burn," said Lau.
Brown said he could not comment on reports that the fire was caused by arson. The department's investigations department was sifting through the damage Sunday trying to determine the cause.
sfreeman@png.canwest.com
Vancouver Sun
Sunday, March 02, 2008
VANCOUVER - A "stubborn" two-alarm blaze early this morning caused damage to Vancouver's oldest school structure, leaving 40 kindergarten students without a classroom.
Firefighters were called to Sir Guy Carleton elementary school at about 12:30 a.m. on reports of a dumpster fire and instead found black smoke pouring from an annex building about 25 metres from the main school, said battalion chief Howard Brown of the Vancouver Fire Department.
The fire started on the porch and spread up to the attic, where it was contained.
The designated heritage building, which housed two kindergarten classes, was one of Vancouver's original schools and is more than 110 years old. The building was the site's original two-room schoolhouse and it opened in 1896 as Vancouver East School.
About 30 firefighters had the fire knocked down by 2:30 a.m. But some were on scene, at the southwest corner of Kingsway and Joyce, until 4 a.m. putting out small flames in the attic, said Brown. The roof was charred but not burned off.
"There is considerable water and smoke damage to the classroom areas," he said. Brown said he didn't believe the building could be used again this year.
There will be no classes today for the 40 children who were housed in the yellow schoolhouse, said Clarence Hansen, chairman of the Vancouver school board.
"We're hoping to work with the principal and superintendent to see if additional staff is needed and relocate the [Kindergartners] in another part of the main building [by Tuesday]," he said.
He said restoration experts will examine the scene today to determine the cost of restoring the historic building. The board also is working with its insurers to assess the dollar value of the damages.
Val Hamilton, who taught at Carleton elementary for seven years and wrote a book on the history of Vancouver schools, said she was shocked when she heard the historic building had burned.
She said the small wooden building is the oldest existing school structure left in Vancouver.
"I hope it's not destroyed," she said. "It's such an irreplaceable piece of Vancouver history."
Alvin Lau has lived across the street from the school for almost 20 years. He said he feels a personal connection to the building because he and many members of his family sat in the two-room schoolhouse.
He said he saw six to eight fire trucks at the fire. He rushed over with his camera. "When I was standing there, my clothes were drenched with the smell of smoke."
Lau said the blaze was mostly contained inside the building but there were flames shooting out of vents near the roof. "The whole thing was made of wood, making it vulnerable to destruction."
"It was the original home school of the entire community... It was a hidden treasure in the community. It was tragic to see it burn," said Lau.
Brown said he could not comment on reports that the fire was caused by arson. The department's investigations department was sifting through the damage Sunday trying to determine the cause.
sfreeman@png.canwest.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)