Premier Wab Kinew committed to supporting displaced residents of a crumbling St. James apartment block until they are settled in permanent housing.
The province will continue covering food and housing costs for 250 Birchwood Terrace residents forced to evacuate last month beyond the current June 30 deadline, Kinew said Wednesday.
“No one’s going to be put out on to the street, that’s my commitment,” the premier said at an unrelated news conference.
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Birchwood Terrace residents were suddenly evacuated from the apartment complex in May due to the deterioration of steel support columns in the parkade.
Residents were told late in the evening on May 9 to immediately evacuate the five-storey apartment complex at 2440 Portage Ave. due to the unexpected deterioration of steel support columns in the parkade.
Since then, residents have been living in hotels and scrambling to find permanent housing. Preparations are being made by the province to move residents into temporary accommodations while they look for long-term options.
The province began supporting residents after initial relief from the Red Cross ceased on June 1.
Kinew made the commitment to quell any concerns about further displacement.
“I recognize that (the deadline) creates some anxiety for folks, because certain deadlines get worked up that aren’t real deadlines,” he said. “What I’m saying to people is that we will continue to work with you.”
Kinew alluded to future legislation changes that could include provincial inspections to prevent mass evacuations in the future, and said businesses such as Ladco Company, which owns the apartment block’s property manager, Lakewood Agencies, should be footing the bill for displacing residents.
“You have a private company who’s created a situation of stress for so many people, and now it’s up to the taxpayers of Manitoba to step in. Is that fair?” he said.
nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca
Nicole Buffie
Multimedia producer
Nicole Buffie is a multimedia producer who reports for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College’s Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom in 2023. Read more about Nicole.
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