The downtown New Westminster fire: one year later

Sitting inside the new Happy Buddha Tattoo studio along Columbia Street, Nick Lavides says it’s hard to describe what the past year has been like. Twelve months ago, his business – along with three others – burned to the ground in the early morning hours of May 24, 2021. 

One thing he’s always been certain of: how unlikely it would be he’d get any kind of day in court. He says he wasn’t surprised to hear that the case was officially closed, and that charges would not be recommended to Crown Counsel.

“We obviously went through a grieving period,” Lavides explains. “Me, my partners, my staff as well. For some of us, that took a bit longer. The first day I didn’t sleep or anything, I was just wrapping my brain around what happened.”

After seeing the building’s charred remains, Lavides said he had to immediately figure out how to take care of his staff. “[The day after that] we just started looking at new spaces,” he says, noting that they were able to help their artists find spaces to work while he and his partners figured things out. 

Today, Happy Buddha is one of the lucky ones. Lavides says they were able to rent space from the owner of Taverna Greka – a restaurant across the street – and while they’ve lost thousands of dollars because of the fire, he prefers where they are now. 

“[The old building] was a very neglected building with a lot of exposed wire, and there was this weird back part that looked like the Phantom of the Opera.” He says it was common to see exposed wood, and that his experience with his former landlord – who he says does not live in New Westminster – was challenging. 

“We even wanted to put air conditioning in, which is obviously very expensive. We were trying to get him to split us on that, and he was not interested.” 

Paul Minhas, who is running for council in the October election, owned the Heritage Grill. He still operates Begbie’s Tavern, just a few blocks away. His journey has been a little different. He says losing the Grill will always be a sore spot. 

“It took a long time to accept the fact that it’s not there anymore. It was a way of life for people,” Minhas explains, as the space was a neighbourhood favourite, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community. “[The customers were] from every walk of life. Straight, gay, Black, White, it didn’t matter.”

“My dream was shattered. The community lost its home. It’s a shame; it’s a travesty. I might be biased on it by saying what I’m going to say next: that it did not need to happen.”

Minhas, who has lived in New Westminster for more than 30 years, says the loss of the Heritage Grill was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He considered leaving town, but he says he realized complaining wouldn’t get him anywhere. Facing his long-standing concerns about the condition Columbia St. is in, he says he had no choice but to run for council.

“[Right now], if somebody comes to me and tells me, ‘what do you think? Should I open up a business on Columbia?’ As much as I love New West, the neighbourhood, the community, I think twice as to what to tell them.”

“The case is closed:” New West Police

Sgt. Sanjay Kumar, spokesperson for the New Westminster Police Department (NWPD) says investigators did all they could to comb through the wreckage to find evidence. “Nothing could be salvaged,” says Kumar. “As a result, we had to close the file. We spoke to a lot of people, a lot of witnesses, but without any physical evidence, it’s hard to identify anyone responsible.”

Because the building was so old, it’s tough to rule out any possibilities. “It could have been electrical because it was an old building. It could have been that someone set it. Without that evidence, we can’t submit anything to Crown Counsel.”

When asked about discussions of squatters that may have been in the area, Kumar said he couldn’t confirm anything. “I can say that the downtown area is known for having a vibrant population. There are marginalized people living downtown; I can’t say there was anyone living in the building prior to the fire happening.”

During our interview with Minhas, he had mentioned someone being arrested. NWPD confirmed to the Anchor that there was an arrest shortly after the fire. The person was interviewed, but detectives weren't able to obtain information that would be useful in determining the cause of the blaze. 

New West Anchor also reached out to the owners of Magnetiq Nightclub and Pho Pho You. Magnetiq did not respond to our requests for an interview, and Pho Pho You is now operating another restaurant in Vancouver, called District Eleven. 

“I would caution people against having landlords that aren’t involved in the community, and try to find local sources to do business with,” Lavides says, offering one last piece of advice as he reflects on the 12-month journey. 

And yes, Lavides’s new space does have air conditioning.