Winters Hotel resident still missing after deadly Gastown fire

There is rising concern about a resident of the former Winters Hotel who hasn’t been seen since the deadly fire at the historic building in Vancouver’s Gastown last month.

Dennis Guay, a 53-year-old man who is hearing impaired, hasn’t been seen since the April 11 fire, at least not by the people who work at the Union Gospel Mission (UGM) on the Downtown Eastside.

The UGM reported Guay missing to Vancouver police on April 26. UGM workers have tried to reach him by phone and text, without any luck and say they are worried for his well being.

“Dennis is a really beloved member of our community,” said Nicole Mucci with UGM.

“We are concerned that without his hearing aids, he might not be able to hear so well or if he was home during the time of the fire, perhaps he may not have heard what was going on.”

Staff describe Guay as a positive, kind, and resilient man who has a passion for classic rock and is a great storyteller.

Mucci is urging people to keep an eye out for him, “or if you have seen any man who might be disorientated … or struggling to hear, perhaps consider contacting the VPD.”

Two bodies were discovered in the rubble of the Winters Hotel during demolition of the building at Abbott and Water streets.

The BC Coroners Service has not identified the bodies, though the family of Mary Ann Garlow have identified her as one of the victims.

Related articles:

• Winters Hotel in Gastown demolition completed

• Winters Hotel: Vancouver Fire told person possibly inside before demolition, police say

• Sprinklers turned off at Winters Hotel days before devastating fire: investigation

The VPD has told CityNews they notified fire officials of the possibility someone was still inside the SRO just a day before demolition began on April 21.

“We advised Vancouver Fire that there was possibly a victim in that building. That information was relayed on April 20,” said Sgt. Steve Addison with the VPD.

The City of Vancouver responded with a statement on behalf of Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, saying it is continuing its investigation and a spokesperson would be made available to speak after the results of the investigation are released.

With regards to Guay’s status as a missing person, Atira, which operated the Winters Hotel, says it remains hopeful he will be located in good health.

A preliminary investigation found the sprinkler system in the building had been turned off days before the devastating fire, adding unattended candles are believed to be the cause. The fire is has been deemed accidental.

The sprinklers had been turned off by firefighters on April 8 when another fire had set it off. A Notice of Violation was issued, with orders “to have the fire life safety systems to be serviced.”

However, by April 11, the sprinkler system had not yet been fixed.

 

With files from Sonia Aslam, Hana Mae Nassar, and Claire Fenton