Century-old firehall on site of Coquitlam's Riverview Hospital to be demolished

A century-old firehall in Coquitlam on the site of the old Riverview Hospital is scheduled to be demolished over safety concerns.

When the firehall opened in 1927, it was one of the largest in the province. But crews moved out of the hall in 1988 and in the decades since, the building has become dilapidated.

"It has a deep history of our city's origins, of our fire detachment's origins," Coquitlam Coun. Matt Djonlic told CTV News Vancouver. "It used to be operated by the province, until they felt they no longer wanted to pay for it, at which point the city absorbed what was a 24-unit detachment."

In December, a partial demolition was scheduled to remove only the hazardous portions of the building. But during that process, significant damage was discovered, prompting the decision to tear down the entire structure.

"Unfortunately it's been left to rot," Djonlic said.

The firehall is on the site of the former Riverview Psychiatric Hospital, which closed in 2012. BC Housing, which manages the building, told CTV News Vancouver in a statement the demolition is meant "to ensure the safety of site users, visitors and the immediate area."

But with its century-long presence, the landmark still carries historical significance for the community, and local leaders want to preserve as much as possible.

"We're really hoping to be able to take out some of the pieces in there, including the siren at the top of the building, that have a lot of significance to our firefighters," Djonlic said. "It's part of the history and fabric of Coquitlam's fire department."

No plans are in place for a replacement firehall on the Riverview grounds. The provincial government still hasn't announced its plans for the entire Riverview site. 

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Yasmin Gandham