Winnipeg mayor announces new measures to crack down on vacant and derelict buildings
The City of Winnipeg may soon have new measures to crack down on vacant and derelict buildings in the city.
On Tuesday, Mayor Scott Gillingham and councillors Sherri Rollins, John Orlikow and Cindy Gilroy announced two reports that provide recommendations aimed at getting vacant building owners to better secure their properties or tear them down.
The proposed measures would increase enforcement, expedite demolition, and incentivize building owners to respond to city orders related to vacant and derelict properties.
“We want to see changes to the conditions of vacant and derelict buildings,” Gillingham said.
“We want to improve our neighbourhoods, reduce neighbourhood blight and get these properties redeveloped so that we can establish the housing that is really, really needed.”
The proposed measures include stricter security requirements for problematic vacant buildings, including the use of higher-grade boarding materials, security fences, cameras, and security patrols.
The reports also suggest giving out non-compliant inspections fees to incentivize building owners to follow city orders; working with bylaw officers to identify problematic vacant buildings; and making a list of problematic vacant buildings available on Winnipeg’s open data portal.
The proposed initiatives also involve amendments to the Development Procedures Bylaw to expedite the process of demolition permits. The changes would allow the property department director to approve residential demolitions where there is no building permit and without going through a public hearing process.
Orlikow added the city is also looking at hiring four new bylaw officers to address the issue. The fees collected from the non-compliant fines would help pay for these new officers.
“The plan going forward is not to leave a building empty, not to leave it vacant, not to leave it unsecured,” he said.
Earlier this year, the city started charging vacant building owners for fire response services following a slew of fires at vacant homes. A motion was also put forward at city hall to get the debris from demolitions cleaned up faster by charging property owners to clear up the mess.
The city’s property committee will vote on the recommendations next week.
The full reports can be found online.
-With files from CTV’s Jeff Keele
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.