A large abandoned house in the 3,000 block of Mackenzie Avenue is on the city’s list for remedial action.
During a special council meeting held Aug. 7, council approved a remedial action order, giving the owners 14 days from proven official notification to secure the house.
Acting chief administrative officer Geoff Goodall said the owner does not live in the community.
“In the beginning of May it was an abandoned house with a large abandoned building in the rear yard. We had been dealing with issues of people gaining access to the buildings. There was a suspicious fire that destroyed the building in the back. People had been living in there and the fire destroyed it,” he said.
After the fire people began occupying the house.
The city has been attempting to secure the house by boarding it up, and in the meantime someone tried to light it on fire.
“Our concern is that people may not always be in the greatest condition when they’re in that building. If a fire were to start in that building, and the fire department gets there, it may be dangerous for the fire department to get into that house and make sure there isn’t anyone sleeping in there,” Goodall said.
The condition of the house would result in it going up in flames very quickly, he pointed out.
Two weeks ago the city went in and cleaned up the burnt building, removed remnants of it, and mowed the grass.
“This remedial action is only to secure and board the building up properly so that people can’t access it, so if there is a fire and the fire department arrives they don’t have to worry that there’s someone in the building.”