'We don’t have any real answers': Gastown hotel resident still missing month after fatal fire

Dennis Guay has been missing since a fire destroyed the building he lived in. Those who know and love him say he is a kind and hopeful man, known for his storytelling and guitar-playing, who deserves to be accounted for.

Dennis Guay has been missing since a fire destroyed the building he lived in. Those who know and love him say he is a kind and hopeful man, known for his storytelling and guitar-playing, who deserves to be accounted for.

On April 11, flames tore through the Winters Hotel in Vancouver's Gastown neighbourhood, a single-room occupancy building housing 71 people. Firefighters rescued several residents from the blaze but were not able to thoroughly search the building. The next day, BC Housing said no one who lived there was unaccounted for. The Crown corporation does not own or operate the building but did provide funding and was working with the property management company to find shelter for displaced residents.

Workers at Union Gospel Mission, an organization working with people on the Downtown Eastside, helped Guay move out of UGM's emergency shelter and into the hotel in 2020, according to spokesperson Nicole Mucci.

"Despite living through difficult circumstances, he was very resilient and kept an open heart. He maintained a sense of hope and positivity that was refreshing to those of us that had the privilege of knowing him. Dennis was a great storyteller, and he was generous in sharing his life experience and wisdom. He also was professionally accomplished, was very intelligent and educated," reads a statement from the worker who knows Guay best.

"Not only did he love playing guitar, but he had an incredible ear for music and particularly loved hard rock. He was an incredibly kind, warm, and patient man. I feel fortunate to have been a part of his life.”

His family is asking for privacy, but provided a statement to Mucci echoing similar sentiments.

"Den is a deeply loved member of our family. Our hearts keep thinking of his gentle nature and kind soul that only saw the good in others," it reads.