Out of concern for public safety, the Saskatoon Fire Department is taking down the building at 314 2nd Avenue South, formerly known as the Continental Hotel.
Work began today (Wed). A demolition order was issued by the Fire Department in February, saying the building is not being maintained in accordance with the bylaw and it is an immediate risk to the life and safety of people in the neighbourhood, as well as the safety of nearby property.
The order also says the property owner has failed to remedy the risk over multiple years. There was a list of things needed to be done to keep the building from being demolished, but the Fire Department says as of Tuesday, there were still imminent risk and safety concerns. Assistant Chief Yvonne Raymer says, “We respect the owner’s wishes of wanting to preserve remnants of the building, but it is also our duty to ensure public safety.”
The Fire Department says in a news release that in 2018, a firefighter had a dangerous near miss when responding to a fire inside the building, almost falling into the basement through a hole on the main floor, and in 2020, a caller to 911 reported loose bricks falling from the exterior of the building, nearly missing a cyclist roughly three stories below. Raymer notes the building is at risk of partial or full collapse, and the cost to restore its structural integrity is greater than the replacement cost of the building.
The news release says, “The SFD is aware of the building’s history and past discoveries of historical interest related to the property; however, 314, 2nd Avenue South is not included on the Saskatoon Register of Historic Places. The building will be demolished through the SFD Demolition and Property Remediation Process. SFD is hiring a contractor to complete the demolition. Currently, all dismantling of the building has been immediately ceased and the site is being cleared of all equipment and staff. Costs incurred by the demolition will be charged back to the property taxes.”
SFD has had a long history with the building dating back to 2002.
• 2002 – The Fire Inspector at the time identified the interior of the building was dismantled and there were significant structural concerns.
• 2015 – An engineering inspection reported repairs would put the building into a temporary state of “stable condition,” but a permanent plan was deemed necessary.
• 2016 – The SFD did not receive a permanent rehabilitation plan. With no plan in place, SFD was obligated to issue an order in October 2016 requiring another structural assessment with a permanent plan for the structure.
• 2018 – A second engineering assessment occurred in January 2018 confirming the building required repairs to keep the structure stable in the short-term but required a reassessment every three months to monitor its stability. SFD received no further engineering assessments from the owner.
• 2020 – On January 17, SFD issued a demolition order and after that date worked with the property owner and Building Standards to allow the owner a demolition permit.
