Nearly a dozen residents of a multi-unit New Westminster apartment with a troubled past have been forced to evacuate due to “severe life safety issues,” declared the city’s fire chief in an emergency order issued Friday.
“Staying on site is simply too dangerous,” City Manager of Integrated Services Kim Deighton explained, citing the building’s faulty alarm system, lack of fire separations, poor exits, and neglected electrical and gas systems as a “perfect storm” of hazards.
This action marks the culmination of a two-decade struggle with building compliance issues. Problems escalated significantly in July 2022, prompting the city to revoke the landlord’s business license and impose hefty fines. Despite these measures, “all attempts to get the landlord to cooperate have been unsuccessful,” Deighton stated.
Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, Deighton emphasized that evictions are never taken lightly, and that the city had exhausted all other options. Service providers from both government and non-profit sectors have been actively assisting residents in finding alternative housing and storage solutions over the past weeks, anticipating this outcome
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Article By Alicia Empire