Bylaw proposal puts pressure on Winnipeg heritage building owners

WINNIPEG — City councillors will soon vote on a new bylaw that could hold heritage buildings responsible for maintenance.

The bylaw was recommended by the city’s property and development, heritage and downtown development committee. It would reinforce penalties on landlords who have let heritage-designated buildings fall into disrepair.

If owners are found by bylaw enforcement officers to have failed to properly secure their buildings (which includes letting vermin take over, water leakage or deteriorated conditions), they could be fined $500 for the first offence, $1000 for the second instance and a minimum of $2000 for every offence thereafter.

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Gerbasi has been a proponent of the bylaw and said specific language will allow the city to enforce stricter guidelines, and in turn better preserve historic structures in the city.

“It’s certainly not unreasonable to think that if somebody owns a heritage asset, they have a responsibility to protect it,” Gerbasi added.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's certainly not unreasonable to think that if somebody owns a heritage asset, they have a responsibility to protect it," Gerbasi added.

The Exchange District alone has over 100 heritage buildings and Exchange Biz executive director Brian Timmerman argued that the sites themselves are part of the re-birth happening in downtown Winnipeg.

City councillors will vote on the bylaw in a meeting next week. The committee has identified 27 buildings that are considered at-risk and said enforcement will allow them to keep a closer eye on negligent owners.