City officials have told the owner of a burned-down building on Simpson Street that he's responsible for the cleanup following a massive fire on Jan. 28.
The blaze at the former "Triple Nickel" nightclub completely destroyed the building. Six fire crews managed to prevent the flames from spreading to neighbouring buildings but the place where the fire started was reduced to a pile of ice-covered rubble. City bylaw enforcement manager Ron Bourret said the owner Ernesto Mercado didn't have insurance on the building so Mercado is responsible for the clean up. Bourret said it's critical that any hazards are removed from the site sooner rather than later.
Bourret said it'll probably be a costly job and if the owner doesn't follow the clean up request, the city can issue an order. If the Mercado fails to comply with that, he can be charged and/or fined up to $5,000. The city can also clean up the site itself and then add the costs to the owner's taxes. Mercado was unavailable for comment.
