Business owner has had enough

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This article was published 30/03/2022 (1038 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After a string of fires, break-ins and vandalism at his property, including a blaze that ripped through a warehouse on Monday, Sheldon Blank is ready to give up the site for good.

“We’re going to find a way to get out of there altogether and leave the land vacant. It’ll be another eyesore for the city of Winnipeg. We’re going to do it as expeditiously as we can,” said Blank, who owns Gateway Industries at the 2 Point Douglas Ave. site. “We don’t want the heartache that goes along with the… telephone call that your place is on fire.”

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said crews arrived to battle the latest blaze just before 10 p.m. Monday. After work to extinguish hot spots, the fire was declared under control around 11:20 p.m.

The fire department noted previous fires at various buildings on the same site took place on Feb. 14, 2022 and Sept. 28, 2021, while “a number of small outdoor fires” have also occurred.

Blank said arson is a major concern, noting the September fire did result in charges being laid. A 21-year-old woman is accused of arson and two counts of mischief.

The buildings are near a long-term homeless encampment, which he links to the fire risk, Blank said.

The blazes have collectively caused millions of dollars in damages to multiple buildings on the property and the structures’ contents. The September incident destroyed an office structure.

“The office building was burned down in its entirety on Sept. 28. Thousands and thousands of documents and all kinds of personal belongings were all destroyed for nothing,” he said.

The building that burned on Monday had been used for storage, Blank said, rejecting the city’s description that it was vacant.

The property owner said he’s been frustrated by repeated crime at the site and wishes a law-enforcement crackdown could prevent further incidents.

“There’s been all kinds of fires there. We’ve got a basic problem, we’ve got to try to solve the problem,” said Blank.

There have been frequent thefts, which targeted copper, and the perpetrators have damaged buildings to get inside, he said.

In addition to the three fires in recent months, two more significant structure fires took place on the property in 2011 and 2014, said city spokesperson Kalen Qually.

As the Free Press reported, the 2011 blaze caused more than $1 million in damage.

The city issued a bylaw order on Feb. 23, 2022 that requires the property’s owner to apply for a demolition permit for the building that caught fire on Monday and complete that work by April 8, Qually said.

“The demolition permit had not yet been issued at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and no damage estimates are available at this time,” said Qually.

Blank said he has applied for the permit.

Coun. Sherri Rollins, who leads council’s protection and community services committee, declined to comment specifically on the Point Douglas Avenue site.

However, Rollins expressed concern about unoccupied properties in Winnipeg being generally at higher risk of fire, something she believes the city needs to address.

For example, she said the municipal government should review how frequently it takes over the title of empty buildings, which is guided by provincial legislation and requires going to court.

“I’ve been interested in pursuing policy on vacant buildings and acknowledging that Winnipeg has (an) older building stock,” said Rollins. “Generally… vacant buildings really do pose a fire risk. It really looks like we need to examine a few things.”

The councillor said structural fires have become too common, which also raises the risk of injury to those battling the blazes.

Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga