Stymied owner does slow burn after flames attack summer-gutted building a third time

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/01/2024 (593 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The charred remains of an industrial building gutted by fire in July have burned at least two more times, the latest blaze taking place Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, the site’s owner says cleanup is still being delayed by a stop-work order linked to health and safety concerns about the possibility of asbestos in the rubble.

On Sunday at 9:45 a.m., firefighters responded to the blaze at the former Vulcan Iron Works foundry at Sutherland Avenue and Maple Street North, a building that was already deemed a “complete loss” due to a July 4 fire, according to a Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service press release.

“Additional damage has occurred due to several additional fires since then,” the release notes.

While WFPS did not confirm the total number of fires by deadline Monday, the Free Press previously reported the building caught fire for at least the second time on Sept. 19.

Sheldon Blank, the building’s owner, said he wants to clean up the debris but a stop-work order from Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health is thwarting his efforts.

“We’ve made a number of proposals to try and get the provincial people to allow us to proceed but they’ve turned them down. They wouldn’t accept the procedures that we presented to them. I’m anxious to try and do it,” said Blank.

While the city ordered him to clean up the site in September, the property owner says he can’t get a demolition permit to do so until he can prove the provincial issue is resolved.

Blank appealed the city order due to that problem, he said.

“We’ve actually applied and the (demolition) permit was rejected. So, it’s a bit of a quandary,” he said, adding the matter is further complicated by winter weather, since wet demolition — which can be recommended when asbestos is present — isn’t conducive to freezing temperatures.

“It’s a very difficult situation.… The way it is, the property’s worthless,” he said. “There’s no value to the property. I can’t sell it, I can’t do anything with it, I can’t use it, I’m still paying taxes.”

He urged the city to focus more on determining who set the fires, which he suspects is linked to copper-wire thefts and break-ins.

A resident who lives near the site said she’s frustrated so much time has passed since the first fire without it being cleaned up.

“It’s just a burned-out skeleton. That actually really annoys me. Is this what we think about our history, about labour history? Is this what we think of the neighbourhood, that people have to look at this skeleton of an old building that nobody’s cleaning up properly?” asked Kate Bitney.

She said the site remains a safety concern for neighbours, referring to smoke from additional fires and other safety hazards.

“We are very concerned about all of the fires,” said Bitney.

In an email, a provincial spokesperson confirmed a stop-work order remains in effect because the structure may have asbestos-containing materials.

“When disturbed, asbestos dust can pose a health risk, so it is important to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to prevent asbestos from becoming airborne… asbestos-linked disease is a leading cause of occupational illness and death,” the spokesperson wrote.

The city confirmed it issued an order to “mitigate unsafe conditions” at the site on Sept. 5. The appeal of that order will be considered by council’s property and development committee in February. That vote was initially expected Dec. 4 but postponed after councillor absences prevented a quorum at the meeting.

Mayor Scott Gillingham stressed the city is trying to get rubble from burned-out buildings removed as quickly as possible, noting he will review the delay on the appeal vote.

“We, as a council, have been working very hard to even change the rules and strengthen bylaws to get derelict buildings dealt with. There is a level of frustration across the community on the number of vacant and derelict buildings that are still standing. I share that frustration,” said Gillingham.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Paul Samyn | Editor's Note

Wednesdays

A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom.

Sign up for Paul Samyn | Editor's Note

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

The mayor said he could explore improving communications between governments and property owners. For some cases, he also plans to speak with the premier about the potential for the city to gain more power to seize properties of concern.

“No one in the City of Winnipeg should have to sit looking at an abandoned piece of property or a burned-out piece of property for months on end, so we need to move quicker on this,” said Gillingham.

Sunday’s fire was declared under control by about 11:15 a.m. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

X: @joyanne_pursaga

Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter

Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.

Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.