While Donald Lee’s Chinese restaurant could have been described as a “hole-in-the-wall,” he certainly didn’t appreciate having one in his kitchen.

Caused by fire crews trying to rescue a man who got wedged between his building and the one next door, the 77-year-old retired restaurateur is finally getting the gaping hole fixed — and the city’s going to pay for it.

After the Toronto Sun ran a story on Sept. 8 that documented how the city’s insurance company, ClaimsPro, refused to pay for the damage — which Lee estimated was about $12,000 — the decision to deny his claim was reversed. The Sun’s story prompted city officials to request ClaimsPro to review Lee’s claim.

“I’m very happy,” said Lee, who lives in the building at 123 Sherbourne St. with his wife, said Wednesday in Toisan, a Chinese dialect.

On July 11, Toronto fire crews pulled off a dramatic three-hour rescue after a man allegedly fell from the roof of Lee’s building and wound up stuck in the 20-centimetre crevice between the buildings. In order to reach the man, firefighters needed to bust through Lee’s wall.

A letter dated Aug. 14 from ClaimsPro stated “there is no liability on the part of the fire department and/or the city of Toronto for this situation, that entirely rests with the person who was stuck in between your residence. Please take the necessary steps to proceed with repairing the damaged area as if there is no recourse for reimbursement.”

Lee said he signed a confidential agreement with the city, so he can’t reveal details of the settlement. But he expressed relief now that he can remove the sheets of styrofoam, plastic bags and bricks used to temporarily fill the hole.

“This is much better. We were surprised they agreed to pay to fix it,” he said.

City spokesman Jackie DeSouza confirmed that ClaimsPro met with Lee last week to discuss a settlement of his claim and he accepted it.

“Mr. Lee will receive a cheque within the next couple of weeks to cover the costs of repairing the damaged wall,” she said in an e-mailed statement. “The city considers the matter resolved.”

Lee, who receives a $900 monthly pension cheque, said he couldn’t afford to pay for the damage — nor would he even if he had the cash as the hole was not his fault. His fire insurance policy didn’t cover the damage.

jyuen@postmedia.com