NORTH VANCOUVER — A North Vancouver man has been reunited with some precious heirlooms after a homeless man found and returned them recently.

When thieves broke into Glen Lancaster's home in May, ironically, the only thing they made off with was a floor safe plastered with a sign declaring there were no valuables inside and that the safe was "not worth stealing."

"It had a big sign slapped on it but obviously they're illiterate thieves or they thought they hit the motherlode," Lancaster said.

Inside, the safe contained mainly documents, passports and an album of old family photo negatives.

After the theft, "I'd written these off. I had no expectation I'd ever see them again," he said.

Then Lancaster got a call on Aug. 29 from a stranger saying he'd found the safe in a ravine near the North Shore Emergency Shelter.

Tim Storey, 42, and living currently without a job or permanent home, was searching for bottles and cans when he happened by the safe. Its contents had been scattered about and exposed to the elements. But Storey could make

out the names on them and sought out a phone book and payphone to let Lancaster know about his find.

The two met up and Lancaster learned Storey stays at the North Shore shelter when there's room and in his truck when there's not. Storey had been working as a landscaper but work dried up just a few days earlier.

Together, they located the only irreplaceable items from the theft, miraculously protected from the rain.

"I had a bunch of negatives from when I was a child growing up in South Africa - black and white photography from my dad," Lancaster said. "I learned photography from my dad and we used to develop them in the backyard. These are of really high sentimental value. That's why they were in the fire safe. I thought they were gone."

Now, grateful for the second chance, Lancaster said he's going to have the negatives scanned and digitized so they can't be lost again - something he'd been promising himself for a long time.

"I said to Tim 'This is amazing. This weekend is my birthday and this is the best birthday gift I could ever receive.'" Lancaster said Storey never once asked for money and that he was mainly just happy to have helped. Lancaster compensated him anyway.

Beyond that, Lancaster is trying to find more consistent work for Storey who is fit enough to climb the Grouse Grind twice a week.

"Sometimes you really get a shock in life. You get all your preconceptions shattered and that was him. He was a remarkably altogether guy," Lancaster said.

"I think he's done an amazing thing and I think somewhere, somebody can find him a job. This guy deserves a break. ... The result just restored all faith I have in humanity. What a guy," Lancaster said.

The North Shore News attempted to track down Storey but had no luck.

North Vancouver RCMP have concluded their investigation into the theft. No charges have been laid.

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