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Local business donates furniture to burned-out Paddington Station building

Leons will also provide discounts to Paddington residents
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From left: Paddington Station strata members Donna Francis and Donna Moore, Leons Langley sales and merchandising manager Dave Sharpe, and Leons sales associate Mike York. Miranda Gathercole Langley Times

A Langley furniture store is extending a helping hand to those who have been burned-out from their homes at Paddington Station apartments.

Leons, which opened in Langley last September, has donated new furniture for the amenities room in the second building that was not damaged by the December 2016 fire.

The room — titled Leons Community Corner — will also serve as a mini showroom, as all victims of the 86 units destroyed are being offered a discount in the store.

“We want to take some of the burden away from some of the people that have faced such tragedy,” said Leons sales and merchandising manager Dave Sharpe.

“In the 110 years of their (Leons) existence, they have honoured themselves in providing to community.”

The connection was made when Paddington strata members Donna Francis and Donna Moore approached sales associate Mike York of Leons asking for help. Together, they brainstormed a way to combine what Leons does, with the needs of Paddington.

Any of the residents hoping to furnish their places with the couches, carpet, coffee table and artwork that has been donated by Leons can even buy the set right from their amenities room, and Leons will replace the room with a new one.

“What was exciting to me was just their (Leons) openness to community. That’s what I love,” Francis said.

“And we’ve done the research for them (the residents),” Moore added. “Because it’s been hard enough to be out of their homes for this time, and a lot of people don’t even know the steps to take. So the fact that we can bring the information to them means it’s stuff that they are not going to have to think about, because it’s been hard for everybody.”

Francis and Moore also feel that upgrading the room will help the residents of the building feel pride in their home again.

Before the fire, the large room had just one old couch sitting in the corner with a white slip cover on it.

“This is going to be, I think, the conversation, because we’re not used to this at Paddington,” Moore said. “We are not used to this loveliness, we’re just getting there, and this is lovely.

“Nor will the people who live here be used to it, so it’s going to start the conversation, what is this?”

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miranda@langleytimes.com