Triple Nickel property owner fined for cleanup efforts

The owner of the former Simpson Street club known to many as the Triple Nickel, which burned to rubble after a massive fire in January, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to failing to clean up the mess left as a result of the blaze.

The property owner has been fined $200.

Ernesto Mercado did not have fire insurance and said he couldn't afford the estimated $50,000 it will cost to clean up the property. The city issued a bylaw violation notice in February, and ordered Mercado to remove the debris soon after.

When he failed to do so by the deadline, the city laid a charge in June for not complying with an order, which carried a potential $5,000 fine. The two sides settled on a $200 penalty Tuesday, and Mercado is now asking the city to put a lien on his property and to take over the cleanup.

City bylaw manager Ron Bourret said they were waiting for Tuesday’s proceedings to be complete before moving in that direction.

There's no word yet on when the cleanup will be carried out.