Manitoba says it’s investigating College Avenue apartment evictions

The province of Manitoba says it's investigating the evictions at a North End apartment building in Winnipeg earlier this week.

The province of Manitoba says it’s investigating the evictions at a North End apartment building earlier this week.

Numerous residents were forced to leave an apartment on College Avenue in Winnipeg this week, with minimal notice. Many tenants told Global News they were offered money to leave abruptly and were locked out of their apartments, and some had their personal belongings removed and tossed out.

Kyle Lemke was one of them.

“It’s severely impacted my life, it was by all means, as I suspected at first, an illegal eviction,” Lemke told Global News.

Lemke is now staying in a hotel, trying to decide what to do next.

“My finances are obviously dwindling right now,” he said. “Homelessness is not something I’ve ever experienced, and not something I ever want to experience.”

During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith said many of the landlord’s alleged actions are illegal.

“I just say shame on that landlord. He needs to be part of the solution and he needs to make amends for what he has done,” Smith said.