THUNDER BAY - After being severely damaged by a fire in March, the property owner of a multi-story building on May Street has been charged under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act for failing to demolish the structure.
“We used our authority under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act to write an order on the property owner for them to remove the building,” said Thunder Bay Fire Rescue acting deputy fire chief, Eric Nordlund.
“The rationale behind that order is that the building wasn’t being kept secure and we continue to have fires there. The only way to address safety was to remove the building.”
A fire broke out at the former Oddfellows Hall on March 1 and the structure was severely damaged.
The property owner is company based in the Greater Toronto Area and on March 10 it was ordered to either repair the structure or tear it down.
A deadline of March 13 was given to make the necessary repairs or remove the structure. The COVID-19 pandemic provided an extension to that order, but the property owner still has not complied.
“They were given time to comply with that order, when they didn’t, they were charged with failing to comply with that order,” Nordlund said.
Following the fire, Thunder Bay Fire Rescue continued to monitor the building and there were growing safety concerns for the public.
“It was based on the building not being secure and fires continue to occur there,” Nordlund said. “We are concerned folks could be inside when there is a fire and there are no fire safety systems and we could see a loss of life.”
The charges will go through the Provincial Courts and if found guilty, the property owner will be ordered to comply with the Fire Protection and Prevention Act order.
“We continue to monitor the building and will continue to take the appropriate action to make sure we are doing our part to keep the public safe,” Nordlund said.
