Saskatoon Fire - News Releases

The re-location team has completed the first phase of the support for residents of the City Centre Inn and Suites.

As of Thursday evening, July 23, 120 individuals were provided the opportunity for temporary housing and re-location to local shelters and local hotels. Several residents were provided longer-term housing options.

“An amazing team came together and performed incredible work here,” says Assistant Chief Yvonne Raymer. “Re-housing this many people in such a short time – and under these circumstances – is an accomplishment practically unheard of."

“Emergency Management Organization’s leadership in bringing together all the government and community-based partners, and the willingness of those organizations to problem-solve together, responding to every changing circumstance, speaks to the heart and care of our city.”

Today, Friday, July 24 the Ministry of Social Services and AIDS Saskatoon staff will be connecting with the residents to:

• Confirm they are at the re-location site
• Provide clothing vouchers
• Follow-up with requests for additional supports

The Salvation Army will be providing food for residents over the weekend at their re-location site.

The re-housing team will meet Monday to determine additional actions to support residents with longer-term housing placements.

More information:

Update: Fire Department & community partners move to house residents of unsafe motel

A full summary of City Centre Inn & Suites Order of Closure can be found here.

The plan to provide housing for residents displaced as a result of the Fire Department ordering the closure of the City Centre Inn and Suites, continues to move forward.  As of 1 p.m. residents began to move to alternate housing. That process is still underway.

The Ministry of Social Services offered the option of temporary housing at local shelters.  Residents with medical or unique personal needs were offered the option of temporary housing in local hotels.

A full summary of City Centre Inn & Suites Order of Closure can be found here.

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The Saskatoon Fire Department with the support of many community partner organizations will today take action to house approximately 150 residents of the City Centre Inn and Suites.

The Fire Department has taken the unusual but necessary steps ordering a closure of the entire City Centre Inn and Suites because of unsafe and unsanitary living conditions; the notice remains pending and will be in effect at 3 p.m. today, Thursday, July 23.

“The Department is limited in its legal authority to enter and inspect what are essentially people’s homes,” says Assistant Chief Yvonne Raymer.  “Once we were alerted by an anonymous complaint, we moved forward with the inspection process.  When it became clear there were immediate hazards because of unsafe and unclean living conditions, we quickly moved to close the entire facility.”

Approximately seven teams will conduct door-to-door visits to each room at the City Center Inn and Suites to support relocation of the residents.

The circulating teams will be comprised of:

• One health professional to conduct COVID screening and swab testing
• Two or more outreach workers to assess needs and determine appropriate housing options

Over 50 staff resources from the following agencies will be on site to support this process:

• 10 – 12  members from the Saskatoon Tribal Council
• Seven Ministry of Social Services members plus one supervisor
• Five members from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA)
• Five members from The Salvation Army
• Three members from AIDS Saskatoon
• Three members from Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership
• Two members from Saskatchewan Housing Authority
• Two members from the City of Saskatoon Emergency Management Organization
• One member from Public Health

The SHA Health Bus is one on site until 4:30 p.m.

Saskatoon Transit is providing transportation to the new locations for the residents. 

Canada Post is supporting the residents with change of address.

Meals, water and coffee for staff and displaced residents is being provided by the Salvation Army today.

Single adults will go either to a shelter, hotel or stay with family or friends for short term housing needs. 

The Saskatchewan Housing Authority is also on site to provide case management for longer term housing options.

Four families have already been relocated.

“The Fire Department is so grateful for the collaboration and support of our government and community based partners to make this happen in roughly 48 hours,” Raymer says.

Assistant Chief Raymer says the most recent visit to 610 Idylwyld Drive North which involved four Fire Inspectors revealed an immediate hazard with issues such as:

• unsafe and unsanitary conditions
• locked exit doors
• stairs at risk of collapse
• combustible material too close to buildings
• inaccessible fire extinguishers
• too few and uninspected extinguishers
• improper smoke alarm records
• failure to maintain fire alarm systems

The owner of the City Centre Inn and Suites has been ordered to remedy 34 deficiencies under the Property Maintenance and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw; and 27 deficiencies under the National Fire Code of Canada.

The closure notice – which is pending – is expected to be in effect by 3 p.m. today, Thursday, July 23.

The Saskatoon Fire Department with the support of many community partner organizations will today take action to house approximately 150 residents of the City Centre Inn and Suites.

The Fire Department has taken the unusual but necessary steps ordering a closure of the entire City Centre Inn and Suites because of unsafe and unsanitary living conditions; the notice remains pending and will be in effect at 3 p.m. today, Thursday, July 23.

“The Department is limited in its legal authority to enter and inspect what are essentially people’s homes,” says Assistant Chief Yvonne Raymer.  “Once we were alerted by an anonymous complaint, we moved forward with the inspection process.  When it became clear there were immediate hazards because of unsafe and unclean living conditions, we quickly moved to close the entire facility.”

Approximately seven teams will conduct door-to-door visits to each room at the City Center Inn and Suites to support relocation of the residents.

The circulating teams will be comprised of:

• One health professional to conduct COVID screening and swab testing
• Two or more outreach workers to assess needs and determine appropriate housing options

Over 50 staff resources from the following agencies will be on site to support this process:

• 10 – 12  members from the Saskatoon Tribal Council
• Seven Ministry of Social Services members plus one supervisor
• Five members from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA)
• Five members from The Salvation Army
• Three members from AIDS Saskatoon
• Three members from Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership
• Two members from Saskatchewan Housing Authority
• Two members from the City of Saskatoon Emergency Management Organization
• One member from Public Health

The SHA Health Bus is one on site until 4:30 p.m.

Saskatoon Transit is providing transportation to the new locations for the residents. 

Canada Post is supporting the residents with change of address.

Meals, water and coffee for staff and displaced residents is being provided by the Salvation Army today.

Single adults will go either to a shelter, hotel or stay with family or friends for short term housing needs. 

The Saskatchewan Housing Authority is also on site to provide case management for longer term housing options.

Four families have already been relocated.

“The Fire Department is so grateful for the collaboration and support of our government and community based partners to make this happen in roughly 48 hours,” Raymer says.

Assistant Chief Raymer says the most recent visit to 610 Idylwyld Drive North which involved four Fire Inspectors revealed an immediate hazard with issues such as:

• unsafe and unsanitary conditions
• locked exit doors
• stairs at risk of collapse
• combustible material too close to buildings
• inaccessible fire extinguishers
• too few and uninspected extinguishers
• improper smoke alarm records
• failure to maintain fire alarm systems

The owner of the City Centre Inn and Suites has been ordered to remedy 34 deficiencies under the Property Maintenance and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw; and 27 deficiencies under the National Fire Code of Canada.

The closure notice – which is pending – is expected to be in effect by 3 p.m. today, Thursday, July 23.

The Saskatoon Fire Department has taken the unusual but necessary steps to consider an order to close all or a portion of the City Centre Inn and Suites because of unsafe and unsanitary living conditions; the notice is pending and expected to be in effect at the latest by 3 p.m. Thursday, July 23.

“The law gives property owners and landlords many chances to do what’s right to ensure people have safe, healthy places to live.” says Saskatoon Fire Chief Morgan Hackl.

“However, this property has had a lengthy history with our department.  Following repeated inspections, orders to remedy issues, and tickets, the conditions have degraded to such a deplorable state the Fire Department can no longer allow people to live there.”

Chief Hackl says the most recent visit to 610 Idylwyld Drive North which involved four Fire Inspectors revealed an immediate hazard with issues such as:

• unsafe and unsanitary conditions
• locked exit doors
• stairs at risk of collapse
• combustible material too close to buildings
• inaccessible fire extinguishers
• too few and uninspected extinguishers
• improper smoke alarm records
• failure to maintain fire alarm systems

The owner of the City Centre Inn and Suites has been ordered to remedy 34 deficiencies under the Property Maintenance and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw; and 27 deficiencies under the National Fire Code of Canada.

The Fire Department and Emergency Management Organization has been working closely with its community partners including the Ministries of Health and Social Services, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the Saskatoon Tribal Council, Saskatoon Housing Initiative Partnership and AIDS Saskatoon to relocate roughly 150 residents, including three children, and to place them in safe, healthy accommodations.

Going door-to-door – and working in teams – fire officials today are informing residents of the pending closure and that other housing will be available for them based on each resident’s health-care or personal needs.  Residents will be housed in a combination of hotels, shelters or housing units in the short-term with the goal to place these residents in long-term housing. Tomorrow, Thursday July 23rd, teams of fire, health and housing workers will meet with each resident to establish housing plans for each resident.  Each resident will also be screened for COVID-19 and assisted with any other health-related issues.

For now and until residents can be relocated, a private security firm will be on fire watch duty, should there be a need to call firefighters for an emergent incident.

“We adopted a community approach to this issue, to make sure that taking action on a serious problem was going to have the least impact as possible on every resident involved,” Chief Hackl says.  “Our focus, as always, is about community safety.”

At approximately 10:15 a.m. on July 21, 2020, the Saskatoon Fire Department received a 911 call reporting a possible natural gas leak in the 400 block of Avenue Y South. One fire engine, one rescue unit, one aerial ladder truck, and one battalion chief were dispatched for response.

 Arriving on scene in about four minutes, firefighters located a compromised natural gas line with gas audibly being released. Fire dispatchers notified the appropriate utility technicians to attend the scene as fire crews began evacuations of affected properties. Firefighters assisted with digging down to the line, allowing utility technicians to clamp the compromised line and stop the flow of natural gas. Fire crews ventilated the area prior to returning to their stations to continue serving Saskatoon.

The Saskatoon Police Service restricted traffic on Avenue Y between 18th Street and 19th Street for the duration of this incident; the area was reopened to the public and the scene left with utility technicians at approximately 11:54 a.m.