'I'm pinching myself': Port Moody art gallery reopens 3 weeks after large fire
An art gallery that shut down in late July after fire ravaged part of a historic block in Port Moody, B.C., is open for business again.
The Silk Art Gallery will hold a grand reopening Tuesday for local firefighters and the public, a bright spot for the city's art lovers after a large fire destroyed part of the city's historic block.
Among the hardest hit was the Gallery Bistro, a local hub for artists and musicians. The site was demolished due to heavy structural damage.
The Silk Art Gallery, which is housed in a neighbouring century-old building in the city's gallery row, wasn't ruined by the fire. But it suffered flood damage from a burst pipe and water from hoses dousing the nearby flames.
"It's actually survived three fires," said gallery owner Zoë Royer, "so we feel that there are so many miracles that have happened in terms of this building, in terms of the artwork that was protected."
Royer, who is also a Port Moody city councillor, said fire crews told her she had 20 minutes to evacuate the building after the fire broke out nearby.
About a dozen good Samaritans helped carry out 26 paintings, files and computers during the blaze. All of the paintings were inspected and none were found to have been damaged.
Staff restored the space in three weeks, including painting and adding new carpet, to host a new floral art exhibition.
"The past three weeks have felt like months and months because it's been incredibly intense," Royer said.
"But I'm pinching myself just looking around. The paintings are here. We've got life in this space. There's a slice of heaven in this space."
Other businesses are still deciding whether to reopen or not. The cause of the fire is considered accidental, says the Port Moody fire department.
Fire officials aren't releasing more details as the investigation continues.
Listen to an interview with Zoë Royer on CBC's On the Coast:
