The Vancouver record community took a major blow today, as a fire has effectively destroyed the city's beloved Dandelion Records.
The blaze broke out on Thursday morning (October 22) at approximately 10 a.m. near Main Street and Broadway in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. The fire started at Frenchies Diner, just a few doors down from Dandelion. By 1 p.m., three buildings had been extremely damaged in the fire, including the record store and emporium run by Jeff Knowlton and wife Laura Frederick.
As CTV reports, one person has already been arrested for arson in connection to the three-alarm fire, which closed the busy Main and Broadway intersection for much of the day.
By this evening, Dandelion took to social media, posting a series a truly devastating photos that show just how extensive the damage inside the store is.
"RIP Dandelion," one post reads. "Heartbreakingly our store was destroyed by water and smoke from the fire that broke out at frenchies this morning. We will be closed until further notice..! ❤️ to all those who showed up to help or reached out."
Already, however, multiple GoFundMe pages have been set up to support Knowlton and Frederick. You can donate to one of those here. As of press time, it has already earned more than $2,000.
UPDATE (10/23, 12 p.m. ET): In less than 24 hours, the GoFundMe campaign has reached nearly $9,000.
The store is also asking for donation to be sent directly Laura Frederick at dandelionemporium@gmail.com.
Dandelion is a Vancouver treasure, to say the least. Known for its vast collection of off-the-beaten-path vinyl and the couple's in-depth musical knowledge, it's won more than a few collectors' hearts over the years.
Needless to say, the store will be sadly missed, and here at Exclaim! we wish Dandelion all the best in getting themselves back on their feet and hopefully opening once again sometime soon.
The blaze broke out on Thursday morning (October 22) at approximately 10 a.m. near Main Street and Broadway in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. The fire started at Frenchies Diner, just a few doors down from Dandelion. By 1 p.m., three buildings had been extremely damaged in the fire, including the record store and emporium run by Jeff Knowlton and wife Laura Frederick.
As CTV reports, one person has already been arrested for arson in connection to the three-alarm fire, which closed the busy Main and Broadway intersection for much of the day.
By this evening, Dandelion took to social media, posting a series a truly devastating photos that show just how extensive the damage inside the store is.
"RIP Dandelion," one post reads. "Heartbreakingly our store was destroyed by water and smoke from the fire that broke out at frenchies this morning. We will be closed until further notice..! ❤️ to all those who showed up to help or reached out."
Already, however, multiple GoFundMe pages have been set up to support Knowlton and Frederick. You can donate to one of those here. As of press time, it has already earned more than $2,000.
UPDATE (10/23, 12 p.m. ET): In less than 24 hours, the GoFundMe campaign has reached nearly $9,000.
The store is also asking for donation to be sent directly Laura Frederick at dandelionemporium@gmail.com.
Dandelion is a Vancouver treasure, to say the least. Known for its vast collection of off-the-beaten-path vinyl and the couple's in-depth musical knowledge, it's won more than a few collectors' hearts over the years.
Needless to say, the store will be sadly missed, and here at Exclaim! we wish Dandelion all the best in getting themselves back on their feet and hopefully opening once again sometime soon.
A fire today on Main Street has devastated our shop... sadly we will be closed for the foreseeable future. The water and...
Posted by Dandelion Records & Emporium on Thursday, 22 October 2020