‘Absolutely embarrassing’: derelict St. John’s house neighbourhood symbol of city-wide issue By: Tyler Searle Posted: 6:28 PM CDT Monday, Oct. 30, 2023 Last Modified: 9:32 PM CDT Monday, Oct. 30, 2023 Updates

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This article was published 30/10/2023 (725 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg landlord has made it his personal mission to have a vacant home in the St. John’s neighbourhood demolished, after years of squatters, vandals and drug use in the derelict building.

“Where is the pride in our city and how long do we allow it to sit like this?” Shaun Jeffrey said of the property, located at 339 Mountain Ave., which has remained vacant for more than a decade.

“It’s absolutely embarrassing when you look at the state of that home, and the fact that it’s been like that for years, and nobody has done anything about it… Our elected leaders are supposed to take care of these things.”

On Monday, piles of soiled tissues, discarded plastics and drug paraphernalia were scattered around the house’s entryway and backyard. Exposed wires sat ripped and dangling from the exterior walls, which were covered in layers of colourful graffiti that spread out onto the garages and fences of neighbouring properties.

Fresh snow filtered down through the building’s exposed roof — damaged in a pair of fires in 2020 — and the front door, which was formerly boarded shut, had been pried open, exposing a filthy and charred interior.

Across the street, groups of young school children played in the fenced-in yard of Machray School.

Jeffrey, who owns nearby rental property, said he is fed-up after repeatedly reporting the unsightly, unsafe and unsecured building to the City of Winnipeg, with no permanent solution to the long-standing eyesore.

He fears the property is a hazard to neighbourhood children, and may drive down nearby property values and deter prospective homebuyers. Fines and bylaw orders have clearly failed to bring the property in line, so he would like to see it destroyed, Jeffrey said.

The Free Press spoke with several residents in the area, with all sharing similar concerns.

According to city records, the building has been known to be vacant since July 2013. In that time, the property owner has accrued 12 tickets for various issues, including multiple failures to maintain and secure the property.

It was last inspected by bylaw officers Oct. 10.

Tax records show the property is valued around $84,000 and lists its owner as a woman living in Winnipeg, however, efforts to track her down were unsuccessful.

Coun. Ross Eadie said his ward office has had an active file on the home for roughly a year and continues to field complaints from constituents and follow up with bylaw enforcement officers.

“I’m anxious for a number of efforts related to vacant and derelict buildings to roll out after the budget and further discussions with the new provincial government,” he said in an email statement.

How to deal with similar properties has been an ongoing topic of debate at city hall.

In May, the city announced new measures, including expedited demolition permits and increased enforcement, to reduce the number of empty buildings and prevent break-ins, fires or other problems (including squatting).

Earlier this month, the property and development committee ordered a report on composing a new task force to address the issues, which is due back in about three months.

Meanwhile, the Mountain Avenue property continues to be a blight, with area residents saying they are left to log complaints and wonder if anything will be done.

According to city estimates provided to the Free Press in September, it is just one of up to 700 similarly vacant buildings in Winnipeg.

“That house has been nothing but problems,” said Renée Banville, who lives nearby. “I’ve cleaned the backyard, probably two or three times, and the neighbour has as well. Just because it looks awful for the rest of the neighbourhood.”

Speaking from her living room, Banville described a file she and her partner use to track their complaints to the city about the property. All together, the couple has reported the building 12 times since July 2022 — with their latest report placed Oct. 18, when they noticed the property was once again unsecured.

They have lived in the area since 2019, and come to love what Banville describes as a close-knit community.

Rising inflation and mortgage rates have led more young families and immigrants to seek housing in the St. John’s neighbourhood, which has noticeably revitalized the area.

However, burned and neglected homes sour the area’s image, Banville said.

“At one point, we were thinking of just getting the neighbourhood together to buy it, so we could just tear it down,” Banville said, adding she’d like to see it replaced with infill housing.

“It just perpetuates the perception that the North End is a slum — and that is not the case.”

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca