Karagianis Member's Statement - Craigflower Manor

Catastrophe was narrowly averted in my community the afternoon of Friday, January 23rd. The call came in that fire had broken out inside historic Craigflower Manor, the third oldest surviving building in the entire province. The two-storey log home is one of the last remaining links to original settlement farms established by the Hudsons Bay Company in the 1850s.

Greeted with a fireball when they kicked in the back door, fire crews worked quickly to prevent the flames from entering the walls, where the fire certainly would have spread upwards and engulfed the entire house. They contained the flames to a hallway and kitchen on the bottom floor, saving priceless and irreplaceable artifacts just metres away.

Those firefighters saved the 156-year-old landmark at the corner of Admirals and Craigflower roads. My community is grateful to View Royal Fire Rescue and the mutual aid support provided by Esquimalt Fire Rescue and Colwood Fire and Rescue Services.

The fire is a wake-up call that says action is needed to protect Craigflower Manor. One of the factors that has already emerged in the investigation is that this priceless heritage building doesnt have an adequate alarm system. Fire investigators say that a smoke-sensitive alarm system would signal trouble earlier.

Ive asked the minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts to pay for this urgently needed system. In the meantime, my community is coming together to raise the $200,000 or so that will be needed to repair the damage. TLC, The Land Conservancy, operators of the historic site, is guiding the way.

I hope members of the House will join me in thanking the brave firefighters who saved a precious piece of B.C.s heritage, and acknowledge the community members who are leading the effort to fix and restore Craigflower Manor.

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