Months after blaze, the Kirkwood Block building is still awaiting demolition

Months after a fire razed the historic Kirkwood Block to the ground, the charred ruins remain spilling onto the sidewalk of Portage Avenue, though the city says it has reviewed a demolition permit.

It has been more than two months since the fire broke out in the commercial building at 575 Portage Ave. on the corner of Langside Street on Feb. 2, 2022. Flames engulfed the building and continued to burn throughout the day, sending smoke billowing across Downtown Winnipeg.

Black smoke rises from a fire in a building on Langside Street on Feb. 2, 2022 (Photo courtesy Charlie McKean)

The 110-year-old structure was deemed a total loss. Since the fire, the remains of the building have sat fenced off.

On Thursday, a spokesperson for the city told CTV News Winnipeg the city has reviewed the demolition permit for 575 Portage Ave. They said once it has been approved, the timing of the demolition will depend on coordination with Manitoba Hydro.

The spokesperson said no date has been set for the demolition at this time. Manitoba Hydro said once it has received the demolition permit from the city, it will get to work removing natural gas and electrical services.

"We have not received a permit for that property yet, but we're prepared to remove services from the building once we do," a spokesperson for the Crown corporation told CTV News Winnipeg in an email.

The city did not provide a timeline for when demolition is expected to begin.