Rubble rousers rile residents

Josyf Mudryj felt a surge of relief when the vacant commercial building at the end of his street in the St. John’s neighbourhood was demolished after a fire.

But that changed.

Within days, the metal fence around the rubble pile at 366 Church Ave. had been breached, and scavengers began digging what Mudryj described as “tunnels” through the asbestos-filled debris.

It’s uncertain what they are searching for, but the blight to the community troubles Mudryj.

“It’s just an eyesore for the area. We have to get our city under control because it’s sad,” he said Thursday.

“We have a lot of buildings that are being affected by fires and a lot of buildings that are being torn down that could be, if they were looked after, great homes for young families.”

Mudryj has long urged the city to address the troubled property, even before it was set on fire in November. For years it attracted repeated break-ins and dumping of garbage. Numerous warnings and reports to the city’s 311 line did not resolve the issue, he said.

After standing as a charred husk for more than three months, the structure was razed in March. The city hired a contractor to complete the demolition after sending a remediation order to the property owner.

City of Winnipeg tax records show the property has been registered to the same man since 2012.

“On my end, it’s just frustration. We have these laws, we have bylaws and yet we still have these issues,” Mudryj said.

He believes the owner is an elderly person, possibly in his 80s, he said. The Free Press was unable to confirm it.

In an email on Thursday morning, Victorino Mendoza, the project officer for the municipal accommodations division, said the city is seeking bids from contractors who are qualified to complete a wet demolition of the rubble.

“We are currently working on the project final demolition processes and contract for the removal of all contaminated debris, levelling the ground with good soil, and conducting the final cleanup,” said the email, which was sent to several city staffers and the contractor who conducted the tear-down.

Mendoza went on to ask the staffers to secure the property and prevent people from trying to access the basement of the ruined building.

Around noon, the metal fence at the site didn’t contain the mess of wood and bricks from the former single-storey structure. An assortment of garbage, including electronics, a fire extinguisher and a cross-country ski, was mixed in with the debris.

Two holes, each a few feet deep, marked where people had been digging through the rubble into the basement.

“There was somebody there the other day. I don’t know what they are looking for — wire, copper wire, maybe,” said Laura Heaps, who works at a group home on Church Avenue.

“It’s not right. It’s dangerous, actually.”

Vickie Klyne, the group home operator, said she has worked near the former commercial building for seven years.

Before it burned, she witnessed people sneaking in and out of the structure, getting through the boards and locked doors intended to keep it secure. She frequently saw people loitering inside or smoking near the rear entrance.

She is concerned because the rubble pile is across the street from St. John’s High School.

“Somebody is going to get hurt there,” Klyne said. “Hopefully, they clean it up soon.”

Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie, whose ward includes the property, said he was surprised to learn the rubble had not yet been removed.

He said the city is working to address the issue, but might be having trouble finding a contractor qualified to handle wet demolition.

Properties with asbestos are required to be treated with “wet remediation” under the Workplace Safety and Health Act. The process involves misting rubble with water to prevent the airborne spread of contamination, limiting work time from late spring to the end of fall.

Eadie said the city is working to take over the title of the property.

“I assumed when they demolished it, it was all going to be removed. I’ve been pushing for that since the beginning,” Eadie said. “My office has been on top of this right from when Josyf kept reporting it… I want it cleaned up myself.”

The councillor said there are so many properties that require remediation, that it might be difficult for contractors to stay ahead of the work.

“This is a big problem in a couple of my neighbourhoods,” he said. “The city is trying to get this done. I really think it is related to the availability of qualified demolition companies.

In total, 110 contractors in Winnipeg are able to bid on demolition and remediation work, as per a city report from September 2024.

The Free Press asked the city to provide an estimate on when the rubble pile will be removed. It didn’t respond before deadline.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca