Welland Fire and Emergency Services has continued dealing with ongoing fire safety issues at 69 Southworth Street. In January 2022, Fire Prevention Officers discovered that a retail/commercial building had unlawfully converted the commercial spaces into residential apartments. This occurred without obtaining building permits and completing the necessary compensating construction to make the units fire-safe. The units were also discovered without the proper working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Accordingly, the FPOs issued an inspection order pursuant to the Fire Protection and Prevention Act , ordering the property owner to cease using these units as apartments and obtain the necessary permits to lawfully and safely create these apartments. The inspection order provided a compliance date for the property owner to complete these instructions.
Following the compliance date on the order, the FPOs attended the property in September 2022 to inspect to verify compliance with the order. During the inspection, it was discovered the order needed to be complied with. As a result, the FPOs initiated a prosecution pursuant to the FPPA for failing to comply with an inspection order. On April 13, 2023, the property owner was convicted and fined $12,500, including court costs and fine victim surcharge in Provincial Offences Court. This fine is in addition to a conviction and fine of $5,000 registered against the property owner in August 2022 related to the Fire Code offences of missing or disabled smoke and carbon monoxide alarms discovered at the property during the initial inspection.
WFES is in consultation with the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal (OFM) regarding the next steps to be taken at the property.WFES would like to remind residents that compliance with the Fire Code is always mandatory. If a property owner or occupant receives an inspection order, it is mandatory to comply with the order before the compliance date. WFES wants to remind residents, particularly landlords, that Fire Code deficiencies will not be tolerated.
