The managing director of a North Vancouver wellness clinic says she thought her boss’s phone was hacked when she heard the news that a fire destroyed her workplace.
“I was walking my dog, I was like, ‘Is this Elise talking to me? How could this have happened? It was complete shock and a total out-of-body experience,” Emily Thompson said.
On Feb. 20, a blaze ripped through a counselling room at The Woods Arts & Wellness, an organization that offers counselling and therapy programs.
District of North Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services received reports of the fire at 2:25 a.m. Feb. 20 at the mixed residential and commercial building on 3721 Delbrook Ave.
The fire started in one of the smaller counselling rooms. Fire crews were able to put out the blaze quickly, but moments later a pipe burst just above the kitchen, causing extensive water damage around the space.
There were no injuries to residents or fire personnel, said District of North Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services Assistant Fire Chief Mark Dear. North Shore Emergency Management attended the scene to assist affected residents, he said. Six residents from units in the building were displaced for a couple of days following the fire due to smoke damage.
“It was a lot of smoke damage,” Dear said. “The fire was contained into the corner of the unit … the fire was actually behind a couch chair.”
The smoke and water damage has forced the organization to replace nearly everything in the centre, Thompson said. The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but Thompson says she and the owners think it may have been a rechargeable battery for a sound machine plugged in behind a fabric armchair, which wasn't turned on and has always been there.
“It wasn’t even charging, but it was the only thing that was plugged in,” she said.
Thompson says smoke damage is everywhere. Photos show ceilings and walls that were originally white are now black, with water covering the floor.
“It certainly was a massive shock, because this space has been a sacred space for our clients who come for counselling and groups,” Thompson said. “But for myself, it’s also been such an amazing space to work in and support the growth of. So it was a really hard loss to face.”
It could be between three to six months before the Woods can fully reopen again, Thompson said, resulting in having to cancel programs such as their art and music therapy, and limit counselling services.
But people have come in to help and show support. The team has seen people reach out since they shared the news on their Instagram and website last month.
Delbrook Integrative Medical Centre, a naturopathic clinic in the same North Vancouver plaza, has offered one of their counselling rooms for the time being, while staff at The Woods have made some appointments virtual. Thompson said West Vancouver yoga studio Om Prem has also offered their space if they need it.
“To have all of this community come to us and say, ‘Let us help you, we really want to keep you going,’ is just really lovely,” she said.
The Woods Arts & Wellness has been in the space for about a year and a half. Elise Girardin founded the organization in 2022, working with other organizations like Hollyburn Family Services.
“As much as we can rebuild it, it’s such a loss, because it was such an incredible space for so many people,” Thompson said. “It was starting to become an anchor for our community, [people] would show up week after week."
“It definitely does feel like a big loss for us for sure,” she added.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
https://bsky.app/profile/abbyluciano.bsky.social
Want to stay updated on North Vancouver and West Vancouver news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
