Hot time in the old town

[handslive]

Apparently, the face of Whyte Ave has been changed again. Shit. According to the radio report on this, Uncle Albert's Pancake House on the corner of 104th burned right to the ground.

Comments

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Oh, my god. I was blocks away and had absolutely no idea! That's so sad. And kind of scary.

-J

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

That's not unusual... When I was a grad student there was a fire in the building where I was living. I got back late that night, after it had all been sorted out, and only noticed an odd smell. It was weeks before I found out there'd been a fire!

[purplejavatroll.livejournal.com]

That's a real shock! Uncle Albert's has been there a long time, a lot longer than I've lived in the city. Another landmark gone. :(

pjt

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

I don't think I remember Uncle Albert's specifically, but what other landmarks would be near this so I might jog my memory of where it is?

[greenjavatroll.livejournal.com]

Sadly, this probably won't be the last time this happens. There are a lot of old wooden buildings around there, and even the most diligent care taken to reduce fire hazards doesn't stop things like arson or electrical shorts. I have to (rather shamefully) admit that as sad a loss as the Uncle Albert's is, I'm glad it wasn't the old post office.

The University is changing it's face too. The old quad is set to be demolished, although it effectively was demolished years ago by those hideous cheap-ass trailers. They're going to get rid of the Alberta Research Council building as well. My parents met there :-/

GJT

[puppytown.livejournal.com]

I was at the Princess when the fire started (around 10) - who knows how long it had been burning before anyone noticed. We saw some police run by and looked out the door and there was smoke billowing out of the roof and the front of the restaurant. I think it was probably already too late for the poor animals upstairs. Not long after, a fire truck and ambulance arrived.

Last I heard, 10 businesses lost and 4 or 5 damaged.

[handslive.livejournal.com]

Albert's was across from what used to be Java Jive. Java Jive is on the same block as the Princess Theatre where Greenwoods used to be. It's also across from (east of) the Second Cup. Or diagonally across from the Army & Navy.

You may have vague memories of a wooden statue out front of a chubby chef.

[purplejavatroll.livejournal.com]

And I just read in the Journal that the New York Bagel was one of them. Wah!!

Do you happen to know what other ones were?

pjt

[handslive.livejournal.com]

You probably saw this in the same Journal article, but it looks like it got as far east as Carol's Sweets (next door? I'm not sure).

[puppytown.livejournal.com]

New York Bagel is gone, Isis Metaphysical, that clothing store, the piercing parlour, Albert's, Scales & Tails, and I don't remember which others. :(

Yes, Carol's Sweets is gone. Was there a store upstairs from it?

Southside Sound and Stoli's were damaged in the fire, but I don't think they're gone. Their building is brick and probably helped keep the fire from spreading the rest of the way down the block.

I hear it was a nice pet store, where they let the kitties wander around and be friendly. Crap.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Crap indeed :-(