Winnipeg councillors want demolished buildings cleaned up quicker

A push is on at Winnipeg City Hall to get long-standing debris from demolitions cleaned up faster, by charging property owners to clear the mess away.

A motion from Councillors Cindy Gilroy and Vivian Santos says there are buildings which have been knocked down but piles of rubble remain beyond six months.

They say these sites have devastating health and safety impacts for the community and that many of them are located in inner city neighbourhoods. The motion says the derelict properties filled with debris are blocking revitalization efforts.

Gilroy and Santos want the city to clean up the properties and place the cost on the property owner’s tax bill.

For vacant house fires, the city has started charging owners the cost to battle the blaze. There are also other measures in the works to speed up demolitions in those cases.