Residents of a five-storey apartment building on Portage Avenue have been ordered to immediately get out of the building by the City of Winnipeg after an engineering inspection deemed it unsafe.
The municipal government said Thursday evening that residents of Birchwood Terrace, at 2440 Portage Ave., had been told to “immediately vacate the building under the Winnipeg Building By-law and the Emergency Management By-law due to its unsafe condition.”
The city was recently notified that a third-party inspection had found severe deterioration of parts of the structure, the news release said.
Nicole Buffie / Free Press
The City of Winnipeg Thursday told residents of Birchwood Terrace, at 2440 Portage Ave., to “immediately vacate the building under the Winnipeg Building By-law and the Emergency Management By-law due to its unsafe condition.”
The property owner was informed about the requirements as per the bylaws to immediately vacate and cease any occupancy of the property, prohibit entry to the property until it is determined to be safe by the city, ensure 24/7 monitoring of the property and immediately advise the city of any change in the structural stability of the property.
The city said it expects to issue more orders to the owner in regards to actions that must be taken to address the unsafe conditions.
Representatives from the city were to advise individual tenants of the order to ensure the building is vacated.
A reception centre is to be set up to help residents who have nowhere to stay find temporary accommodation and learn about resources and supports.
It’s expected to take months to conduct repairs and inspections, the city said.
In addition, officials were to advise residents of neighbouring homes, on Assiniboine Crescent, that they are on “evacuation watch” and should be ready to leave “if and when the structural condition of the apartment building necessitates it,” the city said.
— Free Press Staff
