Winnipeg warehouse that Peter Nygard said housed his apartment sustains 'major' damage in fire
A building in Winnipeg’s West End has gone up in flames, causing major damage to the structure.
Just before 6 a.m. on Tuesday, crews with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) responded to a fire alarm in the 1300 block of Notre Dame Avenue at the former Nygard building. According to the City of Winnipeg, a second alarm was also called to increase the number of crew members and amount of equipment sent to the scene.
Once on scene, firefighters found heavy smoke and flames coming from the building. Crews attacked the fire from outside the structure, as it was unsafe to go into the building. Firefighters used aerial ladders and handlines to extinguish the fire.
The city said crews also worked with a private company to take down part of the building to gain access to fight the fire from the inside.
Firefighters also used a drone to help with situational awareness and to direct crews to the exact locations of the flames.
No one was hurt in the fire and the fire was considered under control by the early afternoon.
Notre Dame Avenue was closed in both directions from Erin Street to Flint Street. Emergency crews have now cleared the scene, and all lanes are open to traffic.
One apparatus is expected to stay at the scene to deal with any flare-ups through the night.
The city notes that due to “atmospheric conditions,” smoke was being pushed to the ground level. Anyone who is sensitive to smoke should avoid the area.
The City of Winnipeg said it expected this to be a prolonged event and crews were expected to stay on scene for an extended period.
The city said no damage estimates are available yet but noted the building suffered extensive structural damage.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
In 2020, the property was one of several properties put up for sale after Nygard’s companies went into receivership.
During a hearing last year, Nygard said in a sworn affidavit that he lived in an apartment in the warehouse when he wasn’t living in the Bahamas.
"1340 Notre Dame, Winnipeg, Manitoba has been my residence for in excess of forty years, while I was a non-resident of Canada and a permanent resident of The Bahamas," Nygard wrote in the affidavit.
"I have been continuously residing at 1340 Notre Dame, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and have been a permanent resident of Canada in excess of one and one-half years."
On Oct. 1, 2021, the former fashion mogul consented to extradition to the United States to face sex trafficking charges in New York. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Toronto police also charged Nygard with historic sexual assault charges in connection with alleged incidents that occurred as far back as the 1980s. His lawyer Brian Greenspan said Nygard denies, "any allegations of criminal conduct."
-With files from CTV’s Danton Unger, Mason DePatie and The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.