RESIDENTS of Downtown Eastside and Gastown are relieved to know that Nesters Market at 333 Abbott Street will be reopening on Monday after it closed down following an arson on March 30.

Vancouver police had announced on April 1 that Victor Leslie Atkinson was charged with arson and theft under $5,000 in connection with the incident. He was alleged to have taken some items from the shelves before starting a fire and leaving the store.

District Five officers, who were very close by, saw the smoke and called for Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services. After speaking with store security, officers believed the fire was intentional and linked to the theft. District Five officers tracked the suspect to a residence in Gastown where he was arrested.

The cost of the damage is estimated in the hundreds of thousands, police said.