THUNDER BAY — A tenant of a Thunder Bay apartment complex has been evicted after allegedly allowing someone to bring a firearm into her unit.
The District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board told the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) the eviction was necessary because having a gun in Spence Court on Amelia Street posed a serious safety risk to other residents.
According to DSSAB, in October 2024 a guest of various units in the complex brought three firearms into the building, one of which he deposited in an apartment through a patio screen.
Later the same day, a relative of the tenant – who was allowed to enter her unit – discarded the weapon's case in a garbage bin while the tenant was present, without disposing of the gun itself.
A DSSAB representative testified before the LTB that when the tenant was questioned about the incident in early November, she admitted seeing the firearm and failing to report it to the police, reportedly stating she wasn't concerned about it.
She also said her relative had relocated the gun to another unit, but did not provide details, according to the DSSAB agent's testimony.
The woman was subsequently served with a Notice of Termination that alleged she had seriously impaired the safety of another person by permitting an illegal weapon to be brought into her unit.
Although the tenant did not participate in the hearing, the DSSAB agent's testimony was corroborated by screenshots of security footage.
She also told the Landlord and Tenant Board there had been an increase in shooting incidents at Spence Court since October.
In a decision released in late January, the LTB approved the eviction and ordered the tenant to move out within days, failing which eviction would be carried out with the assistance of a sheriff from the enforcement office of the Superior Court of Justice.
In response to an inquiry from Newswatch, DSSAB issued a statement addressing the issue of tenant evictions in general.
It said the organization tries to avoid evicting people into homelessness whenever possible, but does go to the Landlord and Tenant Board whenever the behaviour and activity of one tenant endangers the safety of others.
"Though we haven't changed our process, we have seen an increase in illegal activities that warrant moving to the eviction stage," it said.
In 2024, DSSAB successfully applied for the eviction of 34 tenants.
More than 4,000 people rent accommodations that are administered by the social services administration board.
