Owner tears down squatter-damaged buildings on property next to Assiniboine Park

After repeated break-ins and a stalled first attempt, a Winnipeg homeowner has finally secured city permits and torn down buildings on his property, including his childhood home.

Paul Taylor confirmed to the Free Press on Tuesday that the house and outbuildings on his Charleswood property have been reduced to rubble, which he expects to be cleared any day now.

Taylor began demolition last month after years of dealing with squatters, but the city halted the work when he started clearing trees without the proper permits. The property borders Assiniboine Park.

“I decided we need to clear the site because it’s not safe,” Taylor said at the time. “I don’t want to be on the hook if something horrible happens.”

The problems began in October 2023, when Taylor returned from a vacation to find a work trailer stolen from the property that was later discovered in the North End.

He was shocked when he went to inspect the property.

“I showed up to total chaos. The whole place was torn to ribbons. Everything of value was taken,” he said.

The unoccupied property had belonged to his parents. His late father, Bill, was well known for running the Assiniboine Valley Railway, a miniature train in the yard that also featured an elaborate Christmas display with drive-through lights.

Inside, Taylor found copper and wiring stripped out, graffiti sprayed on the walls, and knives, drug paraphernalia and packs of naloxone — a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses — scattered throughout. With the power cut to the sump pump, the basement had also flooded.

As for what comes next, Taylor said he hasn’t made a final decision.

“Batting things around, but still focused on cleaning up the property,” he said.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca