Residents booted from Watson Lake apartments because of fire code violations

Residents of the largest apartment building in Watson Lake, Yukon, have been evicted and the building is likely set for demolition because of a series of fire code violations.

Thursday was the deadline for tenants to clear out of the Lakeview Apartments.

"It's unfortunate because we have, I believe, 11 single tenants and a couple families in there. But you know, it's probably necessary. It's probably the appropriate thing to do," said George Morgan, chief of the Liard First Nation.

The apartments were owned by the First Nation's development corporation, Morgan said.

A notice posted at the building by the town's director of public safety lists a number of fire code violations that were noted last fall during an inspection by the Fire Marshal's Office.

The problems include a non-functional fire alarm system as well as emergency lighting that doesn't work. There were also inadequate fire separations inside the building.

The notice, dated April 4, says the problems had not been fixed since then.

'This is the best solution'

Morgan says fixing the problems noted by the Fire Marshal's Office would involve "astronomical cost."

"Even just to bring it up to fire code would cost more than the building is worth ... that really wasn't feasible for us," the chief said.

"So in the short term, this is the best solution."

He said the building will likely be torn down.

According to Morgan, the tenants have all found accommodations elsewhere, and most of them through the Yukon Housing Corporation.

One tenant, Howard Suffesick, was still busy on Thursday clearing his things out.

Suffesick said he lived at Lakeview Apartments for four years, and wasn't sure where he'd ultimately end up now.

"Well, I gotta go check out a hotel room that the government has paid for, for a month," he said.