The Municipality of Chatham-Kent continues to assess the extent of the damage at 99 McNaughton Ave. West. From the preliminary findings of the multiple ongoing investigations, the building has been given an Order to Remedy Unsafe Building, meaning there cannot be occupancy until it is made safe through remediation and repair.
Resident re-entry will likely be a phased process. At present, it is estimated that getting residents back into the building will take at least several months, with an exact timeline remaining uncertain until the investigative work is completed to determine the scope of work required for each section of the building to be safe and compliant for occupancy of residents. There is currently no power to the building, and significant work must be done to repair life safety systems such as fire alarms and hot water. There has been severe fire damage to the mechanical room, as well as some parts of the building, while other sections have been damaged to a lesser extent by water and smoke.
Yesterday, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent held in-person meetings to communicate future actions directly with the residents of 99 McNaughton Ave. West. Sean McRoberts, Assistant Fire Chief, Robert Pollock, Director of Facilities, and Josh Myers, Director of Housing Services all provided updates and took questions from residents in both Chatham and Wallaceburg. With the support of Chatham-Kent Fire & Rescue, some residents have been permitted to briefly visit their units to retrieve personal belongings and medication.
The Canadian Red Cross has been contracted to establish an emergency evacuation centre at the former St. Agnes School property. The Red Cross will also be providing meals to individuals staying at the evacuation centre. While Chatham-Kent has an agreement with Indwell to purchase the school, since the sale has not yet closed, Indwell has graciously agreed to allow the Municipality to use it in the short-term. The transition to move residents of 99 McNaughton Ave from hotels to the evacuation centre has commenced.
“I want to stress that we are doing everything we can to get everyone affected into longer-term stable housing until the building is made safe again,” said Josh Myers, Director of Housing Services. “Our primary concern is the safety and security of the those displaced. Our Employment & Social Services and Housing Services teams are working non-stop to provide social supports and secure stable long-term accommodations for all tenants impacted by the fire. For those affected, case managers will be reaching out as soon as possible to continue the process of transitioning residents into longer-term housing.”
The Provincial Emergency Operations Centre facilitated a discussion with all relevant Provincial Departments including the Treasury Board, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to discuss with Municipal Leaders the immediate needs of the displaced residents and the longer-term needs as the building is remediated. MPP Trevor Jones also met with Municipal Leaders and toured the investigation area, meeting with investigators, municipal staff and displaced residents.
“This is an extremely serious situation, and as always, our first priority is the wellbeing of our residents,” said Mayor Canniff. “I have been on site with members from various Municipal teams as well as representatives from the Province. We are doing everything within our power to find stable housing for those displaced. We have dozens of Municipal staff and volunteers working on this around the clock. To the community: I want to thank everyone who has provided help so far, whether it be through donations or through providing a place for an affected loved one or friend to stay. If you haven’t already, please consider visiting one of the seven available donation locations with non-perishable donations. It is situations like this where we need our community to come together.”
As stated in a media release earlier this morning, Chatham-Kent Police Services has made an arrest in connection with the fire.
Up-to-date information, resources, and details on donation locations can be found at www.letstalkchatham-kent.ca/99-mcnaughton.
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Media Contact:
Eric Labadie
Manager, Corporate Communications
Municipality of Chatham-Kent
ericl@chatham-kent.ca
