City takes things one step at a time — after 30 years EK homeowner gets ‘threatening’ order to install railing on front stairs… or else By: Kevin Rollason Posted: 6:58 PM CST Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025 Last Modified: 11:51 AM CST Friday, Feb. 7, 2025 Updates

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This article was published 06/02/2025 (414 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Three decades after an East Kildonan homeowner replaced four concrete steps outside his front door, the city discovered he didn’t have a railing.

“It was threatening,” said the 79-year-old man, who didn’t want to be identified, referring to the registered letter the city sent about three weeks ago.

“They said if I didn’t put a railing in they would have to write it up and we would have to vacate the home until the city installed it and (the cost) would all be put on our property taxes. They said they had the complaint in June but were now giving us two weeks to get it done.

“I told them it is cold outside and I would rather have got the notice in summer.”

The homeowner, who spent 50 years in the construction industry, said he was able to get a railing and other metalwork, borrow a tool from a former employee and install what was needed in the last few days.

“I don’t know why we received this notice now,” he said. “The stairs have been there for 30 years and we only get the notice now.”

He noted that there are many other homes across the city that do not have railings installed on the front steps.

The railing requirements are listed in the city’s Liveability Bylaw which has been in effect since 2008.

In section 38 (3), detailing guards and handrails required, it says “a handrail must be installed… on exterior steps having more than three risers.”

The bylaw section goes on to say the handrails and guards have to be “75 cm in height above a line drawn through the outside edges of the stair nosings and 90 cm in height above landings.”

The compliance order sent to the East Kildonan man said if railings were not installed on either side of the steps, the city could “take actions or measures… including ordering the premises vacated, and add the costs to the property taxes.”

“If they had just said you need to put a railing on there, fine, but don’t tell me they’ll evict me and then put it all on my taxes. That’s crazy.”–Homeowner

But while the order mentions the possibility of being vacated, city spokesman Kalen Qually said that happens only when inspectors find an “illegal basement occupancy where there are egress issues.”

Qually said when bylaw enforcement officers receive a complaint through 311, they don’t just investigate that problem.

“If they observe neighbouring properties with similar maintenance and safety issues, they will determine if they need to notify these property owners,” he said.

The homeowner’s area councillor, Coun. Jeff Browaty, said the railing complaint was an unusual one, but he doesn’t believe it was generated by a city inspector.

“It would be complaint based; is there somebody who doesn’t get along with him?” Browaty said. “That’s how most of these complaints come in.

“But if there are too many steps, a rail becomes required. I have two steps, and I don’t need a rail. But if you have four steps you need one.”

Browaty said some bylaw complaints are submitted by strangers.

“There appears to be a resident in North Kildonan who looks for bylaw infractions, including out-of-season RVs parked or other things,” he said.

“He makes it his mission to report.”

As for the homeowner, he still hasn’t seen any signs yet that the city has sent an inspector to approve the new railing.

“I’m ready now,” he said.

“If they had just said you need to put a railing on there, fine, but don’t tell me they’ll evict me and then put it all on my taxes. That’s crazy.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca