6 Thursday, February 17, 2011
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By the time West Van firefighters arrived at an Ambleside tailor shop on Monday morning, the fire was already visible from the street. The blaze damaged the interior of The Roman Tailor, a business owned and operated by Giuseppe Dente for the past 40 years. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. Sean Kolenko photo
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Fire rips through Ambleside business SEAN KOLENKO S TA F F R E P O RT E R
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he West Vancouver fire department is investigating the cause of a blaze that ripped through an Ambleside tailor shop Monday morning. Martin Ernst, assistant chief of West Van fire, said crews were called at 8 a.m. to the 1300-block of Marine Drive after eye-witness reports of heavy smoke pouring from Giuseppe’s The Roman Tailor store. The tailor’s had been open for 40 years in that space. Upon arriving on the scene, Ernst said the fire was visible from the street. He said the blaze damaged the interior of the shop and a “small engine store” located below the tailor’s, accessible from the back alley. Luckily, added Ernst, no one was hurt in the fire. Ernst told The Outlook that crews were able to extinguish the fire quickly but said officials will remain on scene investigating. He said the fire appears to have started in the tailor shop. “There seems to be some damage to the
neighbouring store as well,” said Ernst. “But we’re hoping to get them up and running today [Feb. 14] or tomorrow [Feb. 15].” Maria Dente, wife of Giuseppe Dente (the shop’s owner), told The Outlook that the outpouring of support has been overwhelming. “Everyone has been calling, family, friends – it’s been amazing,” she said. “He’s a good man, an honest man. You don’t find people like that in business anymore. He even worked for free for people sometimes.” Local business owner Nigel Malkin of Malkin Cleaners, located across the street from where the fire took place, said Giuseppe Dente was a fixture in the neighbourhood and well-liked by those who frequent the area. “He’s super nice, been here since the beginning of time,” said Malkin. “I remember when the Fox radio station called him during the World Cup to sing the Italian national anthem. I don’t think he sang it though.” skolenko@northshoreoutlook.com twitter.com/seanklolenko
West Van looks to the sea The district and Terasen Gas discuss partnership on geo-exchange project.
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REBECCA ALDOUS S TA F F R E P O RT E R
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his week West Vancouver is sitting down with Terasen Gas to talk about harnessing the ocean’s heat. As part of the district’s foreshore work, the municipality wants to extend a sub-tidal reef on the seabed between 22nd and 23rd streets. The idea of the reef is to encourage habitat growth and protect the beach from storm damage, but the district also hopes to embed an ocean geo-exchange loop. Geo-exchange technology uses the earth’s or ocean’s heating and cooling properties to heat or cool buildings. “We have seen this system on a residential scale [in West Van] and it has cut heating and cooling bills by 80 per cent,” said Stephen Jenkins, the district’s manager of sustainability. If the geo-exchange system is given the
thumbs up from council, West Van could become the first B.C. municipality to implement the technology, he said. In placing the pipes, at a later date the district could potentially hook the loop to Ambleside revitalization developments or the proposed seniors’ residential project on the Wetmore site, Jenkins said. There is also the option of including West Van’s community centre. “If we are doing [the geo-exchange] as part of the reef, then [the district pays for] just the cost of the pipes,” he noted, adding the district can use existing storm drains to run the pipes to the buildings. Terasen Gas is expanding its aperture for energy sources, he continued. The two bodies are looking into forming a partnership for the project. The district plans to start on construction of the sub-tidal reef this year. raldous@northshoreoutlook.com twitter.com/rebeccaaldous
Prankster warning Police are warning area residents that a police impersonator may be at work in West Vancouver. On Wednesday, West Vancouver Police issued a statement saying they have received two reports in the past week of suspicious telephone calls. The first call, which took place around 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 6, was received by a West Vancouver resident. The caller, described as a well-spoken male, introduced himself as a member of the police department. He told the homeowner he was calling in response to an alarm at the residence. He asked the homeowner to stay home until police arrived to serve a $150 fine. An hour later, a second call was placed to a different West Vancouver residence. No one answered, but a voice mail message was left saying police wanted to speak with the homeowner. The two incidents are currently under investigation, but police believe the calls may be the work of a prankster. Police want to remind the public that pretending to be a police officer is a serious act that could lead to criminal charges.
Anyone with information is asked to call West Vancouver Police at 604-925-7300 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-8477. If you are the recipient of a suspicious call, dial *57 to record the call, then contact police immediately. ghoekstra@ northshoreoutlook.com twitter.com/greghoekstra