Birchwood Terrace to test collapse alarm

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This article was published 10/06/2024 (493 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A St. James apartment block whose residents were evacuated last month will test an alarm Tuesday that is designed to warn people of changes in the building’s stability or if there’s a risk of collapse.

A loud siren will go off at Birchwood Terrace (2440 Portage Ave.) at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. It is only a test, the City of Winnipeg said in a news release Monday, and no actions need to be taken.

If the alarm sounds outside of those times, residents in nearby homes or buildings should shelter in place, the city said.

Jason Shaw, deputy chief of safety, emergency management and public information for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, said the building’s owner is choosing to add the alarm to make the site safer.

If the alarm outside the building goes off, workers would call 911, and the city would respond to the site, Shaw said.

“An audible alarm on the outside of the building could mean that there could be a problem where there might be an imminent building collapse. The audible alarm (also) might not mean that the building is collapsing, but something has changed where … the risk has increased,” he said.

An alarm could lead to more assessments and steps to reduce the building’s risk, Shaw added.

“I think this is all in the realm of the orders that the city gave that make sure … (the owners) were making the building safe,” he said.

About 35 homes near the apartment block along Assiniboine Crescent were initially on evacuation alert, which has since dropped to nine homes, Shaw said.

Those nearby the building should exit the area immediately if the siren goes off outside the test times, the city said. Drivers should also leave the area as quickly as possible, the city said.

Nearby residents on evacuation alert have been told to leave immediately if the alarm goes off. Residents will be notified when it is safe to return home.

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“All clear” will be announced on a loudspeaker when the area has been deemed safe.

The alarm is expected to remain in place for three to four weeks.

Birchwood Terrace’s property manager, Lakewood Agencies, said last week that a best-case schedule for stabilization and repairs would see residents return to the complex on Aug. 31 at the earliest.

About 250 tenants were forced to evacuate the building May 9 after structural deterioration was found in steel columns in an underground parkade.

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