The Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) is moving forward with the demolition of the building at 314 2nd Avenue South, formerly the Continental Hotel.
The fire department says the demolition order was issued in February.
“The structure is not being maintained in accordance with Bylaw 8175, The Property Maintenance & Nuisance Abatement for the City of Saskatoon and it constitutes an immediate risk to the life and safety of people in the neighbourhood as well as safety of the nearby property. Further, the property owner has failed to remedy this risk over multiple years,” the order said.
The owner of the property was asked to:
- Immediately fence off the adjacent sidewalk or parking/driving lanes.
- Apply for a demolition permit by Feb. 28.
- Disconnect utility services by Feb. 28.
- Apply to have utility services abandoned/retired by March 15.
- Have the appropriate utility company abandon/retire utility services by April 15.
- Demolish the structure by April 15. An extension until April 22 was provided.
- Clear the site of rubble, debris or refuse by Aug. 31.
The fire department adds that as of April 26, the building was still standing and posed an imminent risk and public safety concerns.
SFD assistant fire chief Yvonne Raymer says it is their duty to ensure public safety.
“The building is beyond repair. It is currently at risk of a partial or full collapse, which is a significant safety risk. The cost to restore its structural integrity exceeds the replacement cost of the structure, which means demolition is the final and only reasonable course of action,” Raymer said.
The fire department says it has a long history with the building dating back to 2002:
- 2002 – The fire inspector at the time identified that the interior of the building was dismantled and there were significant structural concerns.
- 2015 – An engineering inspection reported repairs would put the building into a temporary state of “stable condition,” but a permanent plan was deemed necessary.
- 2016 – The SFD did not receive a permanent rehabilitation plan. With no plan in place, SFD was obligated to issue an order in October 2016 requiring another structural assessment with a permanent plan for the structure.
- 2018 – A second engineering assessment occurred in January 2018 confirming the building required repairs to keep the structure stable in the short-term but required a reassessment every three months to monitor its stability. SFD received no further engineering assessments from the owner.
- 2020 – On Jan. 17, SFD issued a demolition order and after that date worked with the property owner and Building Standards to allow the owner a demolition permit.
Recently, those concerns have become heightened. In 2018 a firefighter had a near miss when responding to a fire inside the building.
He almost fell into the basement through a hole in the main floor as a result of temporary work being done. Then in 2020, a caller reported bricks falling from the outside of the building, nearly hitting a cyclist roughly three stories below.
The fire department says it’s aware of the building’s history and past discoveries of historical interest related to the property. However, it’s not included in the Saskatoon Register of Historic Places.
The SFD says it’s hiring a contractor to complete the demolition. Dismantling of the building has been immediately ceased and the site is being cleared of all equipment and staff.
Costs incurred by the demolition will be charged back to the property taxes.
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