City of Winnipeg orders evacuation of Exchange District heritage building over fears of collapse

A heritage building in Winnipeg's Exchange District had to be vacated over concerns a damaged beam could lead to a potential collapse.

A heritage building in Winnipeg's Exchange District had to be vacated over concerns a damaged beam could lead to a potential collapse.

The building's owner Dennis Boyko contacted an engineer to examine a crushed beam on the sixth floor at 92 Arthur Street. The engineer then reported the problem to the city.

“To me, that's pretty serious stuff. You don't want the building collapsing with people in it," said Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West).

Last month, city inspectors determined the damage was so severe there was a risk of the building collapsing. They ordered the property be vacated and a temporary fix made within five days.

"We found a number of other issues in areas of concern that we issued an order to mitigate an unsafe condition," said Kelly Happychuk, chief of enforcement and investigation.

The beam has been shored up with posts until a permanent fix can be done. While the city is satisfied things are now safe, Boyko is not. He appealed the order to make a point.

"This was a very stressful period for me,” he said.