Some shops near a massive construction fire and crane collapse in Vancouver’s Dunbar neighbourhood have reopened their doors, but owners say it’s still a long shot from business as usual.
Two homes were destroyed and dozens of people were displaced when flames broke out in a building under construction at 41st Avenue and Collingwood Street on Tuesday, Aug.6.
The fire also caused the collapse of a construction crane onto 41st Avenue, and city officials say it will be close to two weeks before the thoroughfare is reopened.
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Diljeet Daheem, who owns Crepe & Café said he was only able to reopen the business on Sunday.
But with 41st Avenue — a busy transit route serving the University of British Columbia — still closed, business is slow, he said.
“We have every day 10 to 20 UBC students come here,” Daheem said.
“They drop over there, they buy a coffee … little snacks, lunchtime they come here or after college, they sit down here to do their homework, use the internet.”
Nearby, A&L Market was only able to reopen its doors on Monday.
Owner Billy Tang said losing nearly a week’s worth of business has proven expensive.
“Roughly, $7,000 at least. And this doesn’t count inventory,” he said. “All the fruits and vegetables we can’t use anymore so we had to dump them and buy new stuff.”
The City of Vancouver said Monday that its emergency support services were still providing help for a dozen people displaced by the disaster.
The road blockage continues to disrupt transit routes as well, including the busy R4 UBC/Joyce Station, 41 Crown/Joyce Station and N22 night bus.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.