Cleanup to soon start on unsightly Okanagan waterfront home destroyed by fire in March

An eyesore along Penticton, B.C.’s waterfront will soon be cleaned up.

On Thursday, the City of Penticton announced that a contract has been awarded to clean up the remains of a heritage home destroyed by fire in March.

The 110-year-old house at 434 Lakeshore Dr. was tabbed as a nuisance property by the city after the home’s owners were given months to remove the charred debris.

Known as the Warren House, the home — which collapsed within minutes after going up in flames — had been operating as a bed and breakfast.

In July, city council ordered the owners to clean up the property.

“What precipitated us going to council to request the remedial action order was mostly complaints from the public and from the neighbours that are dealing with a very unsightly property next to them,” the city’s director of development services, Blake Laven, said in June.

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The city says the cleanup contract was submitted by Scott Contracting and Excavating of West Kelowna, with a total cost of $45,500.

2:08 Penticton’s Warren House burns down

“Work on the project is expected to begin Dec. 5, 2022, and will last several weeks to ensure all requirements of dealing with contaminated materials are followed,” said the city.

“The expense of the cleanup will be recovered from the property owner.”

According to the Canadian Registry of Historic Places, the Warren House was constructed for J.J. Warren, president of the Kettle Valley Railway.

“The Warren House is an important part of Penticton’s heritage because it retains the historic character of Lakeshore Drive as the prime location of genteel residences built for the monied class in the era of economic growth and maturity of the city during the early 20th century,” reads the registry’s description of the house.

The house description continued, saying, “it is symbolic of the wealth and prestige associated with the construction of the railway, which provided an important transportation link between the South Okanagan and the world in 1912.

“Furthermore, it is valued as a reflection of the former grandeur of this area, which included a group of significant structures such as the Incola Hotel, and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) station and steamship dock.”