SRO owner says City of Vancouver failed to act before Powell Street fire

A private single room occupancy (SRO) hotel owner in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside is blaming the city for failing to act on concerns about an adjacent vacant building that caught fire earlier this week. The fire at 568 Powell Street spread to two neighboring buildings, damaging a restaurant and displacing residents. In August 2022, the same building experienced a fire that displaced 59 people when it was being privately operated as an SRO.

Bob Fontaine, the owner of 566 Powell Street, claims he warned the city multiple times that the vacant building was a fire hazard. However, he says he received an insurance payout for the structure but was never forced to demolish it. Fontaine believes the city did not demolish the building even though it was not repairable.

The city did not interview for comment, citing an active investigation. When asked why the building was not torn down after the August 2022 fire, the city offered no response. The Vancouver Firefighters Union has expressed concern over vacant buildings in the Downtown Eastside area, stating they are a known hazard for both firefighters and the community. They argue that when such buildings sit empty and unsecured, they are not a matter of if they will burn, but when.