An apartment building in northwest Edmonton has been ordered closed and its residents relocated due to security concerns following the shooting death of a security guard earlier this month.
A Dec. 23 City of Edmonton news release said the move was made after advice from the Residential Inspection Safety Compliance Team (RISC), which includes Edmonton’s community standards branch, fire rescue services, police services, the provincial government, and Alberta Health Services.
The building, at 10603 107 Avenue NW, was closed by emergency order under the Municipal Government Act. “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,” the release said.
Given the timing, the decision was not made lightly, said the city. “In this case, the urgency of the safety concerns left no alternative but to close and evacuate the residences.”
City of Edmonton Community Standards Branch manager David Jones said the building posed a risk to the public.
“The building has been the site of numerous violations, and we have been provided with substantial evidence of noncompliance with business licensing conditions that were put in place to protect people living in and visiting the building,” Jones said in a video attached to the news release.
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“Specific issues impacting the safety and well-being of residents include significant safety and security concerns building management, neglect of those concerns, inadequate maintenance and an active pest infestation, to name a few,”
Residents are being provided with temporary housing and transportation by the city, provincial government, and Canadian Red Cross.
“The building has 36 units and is home to more than 60 people, including roughly 25 children,” Jones said. “We are doing everything we can to move these families and individuals into safe, temporary housing, and are working with our partners to secure long-term housing for them.”
An investigation into the building is underway, the city said.
“Significant efforts have been made to incentivize and compel building management to address concerns and incremental progress was being made,” the city said. “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 closing of the building follows the death of security guard Harshandeep Singh, who was patrolling the area on Dec. 6. The 20-year-old guard was found unresponsive in a stairwell when police responded to gunshot reports around 12:30 a.m.
First responders attended to Singh but he was pronounced dead in hospital.
Evan Rain and Judith Saulteaux, both 30, have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting.
“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,” the news release said.
“Until the active safety, security and public health issues can be properly addressed, the continued residential inhabitation of this property poses an imminent and unacceptable safety risk.”
The building will remain closed until all safety concerns are resolved and the owner meets health, safety and security conditions, the city said.
The closing only applies to the apartment section of the building, not the businesses on the ground floor, the release said.
