Just days before Christmas, the City of Edmonton has ordered the apartment building where a security guard was shot and killed while doing patrols earlier this month to be evacuated and shuttered due to “serious safety concerns.”
“Safety concerns have escalated and conditions have deteriorated in the past month to the point that continued occupation of this building poses an imminent risk to those living in the building and their visitors,” city officials said in a news release issued Friday, adding that the closure would take effect immediately. “Given the timing, this is not a decision that was taken lightly.
“The city, in partnership with the government of Alberta and the Canadian Red Cross, is providing all residents with immediate temporary housing and transportation.”
The central Edmonton building, located at 10603 107 Ave., had over 60 people living inside at the time the closure was ordered, including about two-dozen children.
City officials said the decision to close the building was based on advice from the Residential Inspection Safety Compliance Team.
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“The city has had an open investigation on this property,” city officials said. “Significant efforts have been made to incentivize and compel building management to address concerns and incremental progress was being made.
“However, over the last five years and through 60 inspections, 25 citations have been issued in relation to the property and numerous serious issues remain unresolved.
“Significant efforts have been made to incentivize and compel building management to address concerns and incremental progress was being made.
“However, over the last five years and through 60 inspections, 25 citations have been issued in relation to the property and numerous serious issues remain unresolved.”
The city said the concerns revolved around alleged neglect of maintenance, active pest infestations and other conditions, and noted that “the gravity of the safety and security concerns present in this building were tragically emphasized on Dec. 6 when a security guard was shot and killed in the building.”
“Since that date, the city received additional concerning information leading us to believe that the safety and security of the building have not improved and there remained a serious risk of harm to persons living in or visiting the building,” officials said.
“Any time a decision is made to evacuate people from their homes, the city applies great thought and consideration to the circumstances. In this case, the urgency of the safety concerns left no alternative but to close and evacuate the residences.”
Harshandeep Singh, 20, was the guard who died. Friends said he came to Canada a year and a half ago after leaving northern India. They said he had only been working as a guard for three days when he was killed.
Two people have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Singh’s death.
The city said the apartment building will remain closed until all safety concerns are resolved and its owner meets business licence conditions in relation to health, safety and security.
“This closure applies only to the residential apartments and does not affect the commercial businesses on the ground floor,” city officials said. “The City of Edmonton and its partners will continue to monitor and co-ordinate as required.”