Stop work notice in place at Speedway International

The City of Winnipeg has ordered Speedway International to stop rebuilding its location in the St. Boniface Industrial Park.

The business was the site of a massive explosion and fire last year on Oct. 1, which forced the evacuation of nearby homes.

No one was injured in the blaze, but $15 million in damage was done.

Speedway International’s director, Royce Rostecki was charged with 16 offences under City of Winnipeg building and fire prevention bylaws.

Many of the charges were related to how the company stored flammable liquids.

Now, CBC has learned a stop work notice is in place at the site since mid-August. City officials said the notice was issued because the company did not have the appropriate permits to build.

Provincial officials said Speedway International applied for an environmental permit to store fuel at the site of its former plant, but the province has not issued that permit.

Officials added a permit can only be issued in accordance with the City of Winnipeg’s bylaws. Right now, the city is reviewing their zoning bylaws after residents raised concerns about having a fuel storage facility in a residential neighbourhood.

Provincial officials did not say if the permit would be issued for the site in the future, or when a decision might be made by either the city or the province.

New regulations on the way

The Office of the Fire Commissioner, in consultation with experts and municipal representatives, is currently finalizing a report that recommends changes to stop similar fires from happening in the future.

Municipal authorities are currently responsible for enforcing regulations around storing combustible materials, so Winnipeg, Brandon and Portage la Prairie all had input on the report.

The report calls for regular inspections of sites like Speedway International.